Retaining member, electric component and electric device

ABSTRACT

A retaining member includes at least a leg portion having a latch portion, a coupling portion and a spring portion. When the spring portion is displaced, the coupling portion is twisted. Then, the latch portion and the coupling portion are inserted into the opening so that an electric component is retained on a main face of the substrate. In this state, a part of the latch portion is disposed at the periphery of the opening on a rear face of the substrate, a part of the coupling portion is disposed in the opening, and the spring portion is disposed on the main face of the substrate. Therefore, the retaining strength of the electric component to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall of the opening can be decreased.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/320,062 filed on Jan. 15, 2009. The present application is based onJapanese Patent Applications No. 2008-8360 filed Jan. 17, 2008, and No.2008-166454 filed on Jun. 25, 2008, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a retaining member, an electriccomponent and an electric device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional retaining member included in an electric component ispartially deformed by elastic force and inserted into an opening in asubstrate, and the electric component is retained on the substrate byreactive force or restoring force generated by the deformation of theretaining member. For example, JP-A-2007-128772 discloses that a metalplate is punched out in a die cutting process, and then, pressure isapplied to the metal plate and the metal plate is bent so that theretaining member is formed. A pair of first leg portions extends in thesame direction from a flat plate-like base portion. A spring portion ofthe first leg portion is deformed elastically and inserted into anopening of the substrate in the plate thickness direction with acoupling portion between the spring portion and a parallel portion as afulcrum point. The plate thickness direction is a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the substrate thickness and an inwarddirection in the opening. Then, the spring portion contacts a side wallof the opening by reactive force to the deformation, and thereby,pulling out of the electric component from the substrate is suppressed.By using the above-mentioned retaining structure, an occupied space ofthe electric component on the substrate can be reduced, and the numberof assembling steps can be decreased compared to combining by screws.

In the retaining member of JP-A-2007-128772, the spring portion contactsthe side wall of the opening by reactive force itself with respect tothe elastic deformation, and the electric component is retained on thesubstrate. Thus, bearing force with respect to external force or tensilefor pulling the spring portion from the opening is low. That is,retaining strength of the electric component to the substrate is low andthe electric component is pulled out from the substrate easily.

In general, a metal coating layer is formed over the side wall of theopening. However, when bearing force with respect to tensile isimproved, since reaction force having spring property with respect tothe elastic deformation of the spring portion may increase, the metalcoating layer is easily peeled off. That is, the side wall of theopening is easily damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above-described difficulty, it is an object of thepresent disclosure to provide a retaining member, an electric componentand an electric device.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a retainingmember for retaining an electric component on a main face of asubstrate, the retaining member includes a base portion configured to befixed to the electric component; and a leg portion extending from thebase portion. The leg portion includes a latch portion, a couplingportion and a spring portion. The base portion and the leg portion aremade of one metal plate and integrated to each other. The latch portionis coupled with one end of the coupling portion and the other end of thecoupling portion is coupled with one end of the spring portion. Thelatch portion and the coupling portion are configured to be insertedinto an opening of the substrate so that the electric component isretained on the main face of the substrate. A part of the latch portionis disposed at a periphery of the opening on a rear face of thesubstrate, a part of the coupling portion is disposed in the opening,and the spring portion is disposed on the main face of the substratewhen the electric component is retained on the main face of thesubstrate. The spring portion is deformable so that the coupling portionis twisted with respect to the opening of the substrate and the latchportion is inserted into the opening.

In the above configuration, the retaining strength of the electriccomponent to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall ofthe opening can be decreased.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an electriccomponent includes a main body; a substrate; and a first retainingmember for retaining the main body on a main face of the substratehaving an opening. The first retaining member includes: a base portionconfigured to be fixed to the main body; and a leg portion extendingfrom the base portion. The leg portion includes a latch portion, acoupling portion and a spring portion. The base portion and the legportion are made of one metal plate and integrated to each other. Thelatch portion is coupled with one end of the coupling portion and theother end of the coupling portion is coupled with one end of the springportion. The latch portion and the coupling portion are configured to beinserted into the opening of the substrate so that the main body isretained on the main face of the substrate. A part of the latch portionis disposed at a periphery of the opening on a rear face of thesubstrate, a part of the coupling portion is disposed in the opening,and the spring portion is disposed on the main face of the substratewhen the main body is retained on the main face of the substrate. Thespring portion is deformable so that the coupling portion is twistedwith respect to the opening of the substrate and the latch portion isinserted into the opening.

In the above configuration, the retaining strength of the electriccomponent to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall ofthe opening can be decreased.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an electricdevice includes a substrate having an opening; an electric componenthaving a main body; and a retaining member for retaining the main bodyon a main face of the substrate. The retaining member includes: a baseportion configured to be fixed to the main body; and a leg portionextending from the base portion. The leg portion includes a latchportion, a coupling portion and a spring portion. The base portion andthe leg portion are made of one metal plate and integrated to eachother. The latch portion is coupled with one end of the coupling portionand the other end of the coupling portion is coupled with one end of thespring portion. The latch portion and the coupling portion areconfigured to be inserted into the opening of the substrate so that themain body is retained on the main face of the substrate. A part of thelatch portion is disposed at a periphery of the opening on a rear faceof the substrate, a part of the coupling portion is disposed in theopening, and the spring portion is disposed on the main face of thesubstrate when the main body is retained on the main face of thesubstrate. The spring portion is deformable so that the coupling portionis twisted with respect to the opening of the substrate and the latchportion is inserted into the opening.

In the above configuration, the retaining strength of the electriccomponent to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall ofthe opening can be decreased.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a retainingmember for retaining an electric component on a main face of asubstrate, the retaining member includes a base portion configured to befixed to the electric component; and a first leg portion extending fromthe base portion in a first direction. The first leg portion includes alatch portion, a coupling portion and a spring portion. The base portionand the first leg portion are made of one metal plate and integrated toeach other. The latch portion is coupled with one end of the couplingportion, the other end of the coupling portion is coupled with one endof the spring portion, and the other end of the spring portion iscoupled with the base portion. The latch portion and the couplingportion are configured to be inserted into a first opening of thesubstrate so that the electric component is retained on the main face ofthe substrate. A part of the latch portion is disposed at a periphery ofthe first opening on a rear face of the substrate, a part of thecoupling portion is disposed in the first opening and the spring portionis disposed on the main face of the substrate when the electriccomponent is retained on the main face of the substrate. The springportion is deformable so that the coupling portion is twisted withrespect to the first opening of the substrate and the latch portion isinserted into the first opening. The spring portion and the couplingportion extend in the first direction. A width of the spring portion ina second direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the baseportion having a plate shape, is larger than the thickness of the metalplate. A portion between a coupling end of the spring portion with thecoupling portion and a coupling end of the spring portion with the baseportion is a flat plate. The latch portion protrudes from the couplingportion in a third direction, which is perpendicular to the first andsecond direction, and a thickness direction of the flat plate of thespring portion is substantially parallel to the third direction of thelatch portion.

In the above configuration, the retaining strength of the electriccomponent to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall ofthe opening can be decreased.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, an electriccomponent includes a plurality of conductive terminals electricallycoupled with lands on a substrate; a main body in which the plurality ofterminals are disposed; and a retaining member for retaining the mainbody on a main face of the substrate having an opening. The retainingmember includes: a base portion configured to be fixed to the electriccomponent; and a first leg portion extending from the base portion in afirst direction. The first leg portion includes a latch portion, acoupling portion and a spring portion. The base portion and the firstleg portion are made of one metal plate and integrated to each other.The latch portion is coupled with one end of the coupling portion, theother end of the coupling portion is coupled with one end of the springportion, and the other end of the spring portion is coupled with thebase portion. The latch portion and the coupling portion are configuredto be inserted into the opening of the substrate so that the electriccomponent is retained on the main face of the substrate. A part of thelatch portion is disposed at a periphery of the opening on a rear faceof the substrate, a part of the coupling portion is disposed in theopening and the spring portion is disposed on the main face of thesubstrate when the electric component is retained on the main face ofthe substrate. The spring portion is deformable so that the couplingportion is twisted with respect to the opening of the substrate and thelatch portion is inserted into the opening. The spring portion and thecoupling portion extend in the first direction. A width of the springportion in a second direction, which is substantially perpendicular tothe base portion having a plate shape, is larger than the thickness ofthe metal plate. A portion between a coupling end of the spring portionwith the coupling portion and a coupling end of the spring portion withthe base portion is a flat plate. The latch portion protrudes from thecoupling portion in a third direction, which is perpendicular to thefirst and second direction, and a thickness direction of the flat plateof the spring portion is substantially parallel to the third directionof the latch portion.

In the above configuration, the retaining strength of the electriccomponent to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall ofthe opening can be decreased.

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, an electricdevice includes a substrate having a plurality of lands and a firstopening; and an electric component having a plurality of conductiveterminals electrically coupled with the plurality of lands, a main bodyin which the plurality of terminals are disposed, and a retaining memberfor retaining the main body on a main face of the substrate, theelectric component being mounted on the substrate. The retaining memberincludes: a base portion configured to be fixed to the electriccomponent; and a first leg portion extending from the base portion in afirst direction. The first leg portion includes a latch portion, acoupling portion and a spring portion. The base portion and the firstleg portion are made of one metal plate and integrated to each other.The latch portion is coupled with one end of the coupling portion, theother end of the coupling portion is coupled with one end of the springportion and the other end of the spring portion is coupled with the baseportion. The latch portion and the coupling portion are configured to beinserted into the first opening of the substrate so that the electriccomponent is retained on the main face of the substrate. A part of thelatch portion is disposed at a periphery of the first opening on a rearface of the substrate, a part of the coupling portion is disposed in thefirst opening and the spring portion is disposed on the main face of thesubstrate when the electric component is retained on the main face ofthe substrate. The spring portion is deformable so that the couplingportion is twisted with respect to the first opening of the substrateand the latch portion is inserted into the first opening. The springportion and the coupling portion extend in the first direction. A widthof the spring portion in a second direction, which is substantiallyperpendicular to the base portion having a plate shape, is larger thanthe thickness of the metal plate. A portion between a coupling end ofthe spring portion with the coupling portion and a coupling end of thespring portion with the base portion is a flat plate. The latch portionprotrudes from the coupling portion in a third direction, which isperpendicular to the first and second direction, and a thicknessdirection of the flat plate of the spring portion is substantiallyparallel to the third direction of the latch portion.

In the above configuration, the retaining strength of the electriccomponent to the substrate can be improved, and damage of a side wall ofthe opening can be decreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a structure of an electric controldevice according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a mounting portion, in which a connector ismounted on a substrate;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a structure of a retaining member;

FIG. 4 is an extended view of a first leg portion of the retainingmember shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partially cross sectional view showing the retaining memberwhen the first leg portion is inserted into the opening;

FIG. 6A is a partially cross sectional view showing a structure that theconnector is retained on a main face of the substrate, and FIG. 6B is aplan view seen from a rear face of the substrate showing a structurethat the connector is retained on a main face of the substrate;

FIG. 7 is a partially cross sectional view showing the first leg portionafter the flow soldering;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a structure of a retaining memberaccording to a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an extended view of a first leg portion of the retainingmember shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification of the retainingmember;

FIG. 11 is an extended view of the first leg portion of the retainingmember shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a partially cross sectional view showing a damage of a metalcoating layer by a latch portion;

FIG. 13A is a plan view showing a structure of the latch portion in aretaining member according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a planview showing a structure of the latch portion in a retaining memberaccording to a third embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a partially cross sectional view showing a relationshipbetween a first leg portion of a retaining member and an opening of asubstrate in an electric control device according to a fourthembodiment;

FIG. 15 is a partially cross sectional view showing the retaining memberwhen a connector is retained on the substrate;

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view showing a modified retaining member;

FIG. 17A is a partially cross sectional view showing a retaining memberof an electric control device according to a fifth embodiment and athickness of a substrate in FIG. 17A is P1, and FIG. 17B is a partiallycross sectional view showing a retaining member of an electric controldevice according to a fifth embodiment and a thickness of a substrate inFIG. 17B is P2;

FIG. 18 is a partially cross sectional view showing a retaining memberof an electric control device according to a sixth embodiment when afirst leg portion is inserted into an opening;

FIG. 19 is an exploded view showing a structure of an electric controldevice according to a seventh embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a plan view of a mounting portion, in which a connector ismounted on a substrate;

FIG. 21 is a partially cross sectional view along a line XXI-XXI in FIG.20;

FIG. 22 is a plan view of FIG. 21, which is seen from a rear surface ofthe substrate;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a structure of a retaining member;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged partially cross sectional view showing an openingof the substrate when a first leg portion is inserted into the opening;

FIG. 25 is an extended view of the retaining member for showing amanufacturing method;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the periphery of a coupling portion inFIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a plan view showing an application position of solder to thesubstrate;

FIG. 28 is a partially cross sectional view showing the retaining memberwhen the first leg portion is inserted into the opening;

FIG. 29A is a plan view seen from outside in the lateral directionshowing a modification of a retaining structure of the retaining memberwith respect to the connector, and FIG. 29B is a plan view seen from afront face of a housing in a front-rear direction showing a modificationof a retaining structure of the retaining member with respect to theconnector;

FIG. 30A is a plan view showing the retaining member of the seventhembodiment seen from a latch portion side, and FIG. 30B is a plan viewshowing a modified retaining member seen from a latch portion side;

FIG. 31A is an extended view showing a modified spring portion, and FIG.31B is a plan view seen from the latch portion side showing a modifiedspring portion;

FIG. 32 is an extended view of a retaining member according to an eighthembodiment;

FIG. 33 is an extended view showing a modified spring portion;

FIG. 34 is an extended view showing a modified spring portion;

FIG. 35 is an extended view showing a modified spring portion;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view showing a positional relation between thelatch portion and a land in an electric control device according to aninth embodiment;

FIG. 37 is a plan view showing a retaining member according to a tenthembodiment when the retaining member is attached to a substrate;

FIG. 38A is a plan view showing a positional relation between a legportion and solder applied on a dummy land, and FIG. 38B is a plan viewshowing a positional relation between a leg portion and solder appliedon a dummy land;

FIG. 39 is a partially cross sectional view showing a connectoraccording to an eleventh embodiment;

FIG. 40A is a partially cross sectional view showing the effect of acomparative example connector of FIG. 39, and FIG. 40B is a partiallycross sectional view showing the effect of the connector of FIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is a plan view showing a modified retaining member; and

FIG. 42 is an extended view showing a modified retaining member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 1, athickness direction of a substrate indicates an up-down direction. Asshown in FIG. 2, a terminals arranging direction in a housing 52 or alongitudinal direction of the housing 52 indicates a lateral direction,and a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the lateraldirection indicates a front-rear direction or a latitudinal direction ofthe housing.

In following embodiments, the retaining member has significant features,and a connector including the retaining member and an electric deviceincluding the retaining member will be described. The electric device isan electric control device having a non-waterproof structure, and isused as an engine ECU, i.e., Electric Control Unit, of vehicles, forexample.

An electric control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a circuit board30, in which an electric component 32 is mounted on a substrate 31, aconnector 50 including terminals 51, a housing 52 and retaining members60 as a substantial part. Other than the above-described elements, theelectric control device 1 includes a chassis 10 for holding the circuitboard 30 and the connector 50.

The chassis 10 is made of metal material such as aluminum and iron orresin material, and the circuit board 30 and a part of the connector 50are held inside the chassis 10. The chassis 10 may be configured fromone element or multiple elements. In the present embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1, the chassis 10 is configured by two elements, that is, abox-shaped case 11 with one side opened, and a cover 12 for closing theone side of the case 11. The cover 12 is substantially rectangularplate-like shape and has a shallow bottom. By combining the case 11 withthe cover 12, the chassis 10 including internal space for holding thecircuit board 30 and the connector 50 is provided. A window portion,which is not shown in the drawings, for the connector 50 is provided inthe chassis 10 or the case 11. The case 11 and the cover 12 are combinedby screws, for example, to hold the circuit board 30. Then the circuitboard 30 and a part of the connector 50 including a connecting side tothe circuit board 30 in the terminal 51 are held inside the chassis 10.The rest of the connector 50 including a connecting side to an externalconnector in the terminal 51 is exposed outside the chassis 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric components 32 such as a microcomputer,a power transistor, a resistor and a capacitor are mounted on thesubstrate 31, in which wirings including lands as electrodes and viaholes for connecting between the wirings are disposed, so that thecircuit board 30 is provided. In the present embodiment, the connector50 for electrically connecting the circuit board 30 to the externalconnector is mounted on the substrate 31 as one of the electriccomponents 32. As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 34 and a hole 39 areprovided in the substrate 31. A first leg portion 62 of the retainingmember 60 is inserted into the opening 34 and a mounting portion of theterminal 51 is inserted into the hole 39. Specifically, as shown in FIG.2, two openings 34 are disposed at the outside of both ends of thehousing 52, and multiple holes 39 are disposed between the two openings34 in the lateral direction. A metal coating layer, which is not shownin the drawings, is formed on a side wall of the openings 34 and theholes 39 and on the substrate 31 at the periphery of the openings 34 andthe holes 39. The metal coating layer formed on the side wall of theholes 39 is used as lands of wirings formed on the substrate 31. Thecross-sectional shapes of the opening 34 and the hole 39 may be taken anarbitrary form. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, theopening 34 has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape, inwhich the length of the opening 34 in the front-rear direction is largerthan that in the lateral direction. The hole 39 has a substantiallycircular shape.

Multiple terminals 51 made of a conductive material are arranged on amain face 31 a of the substrate 31 along with the housing 52 made of anelectrical insulating material, resin is used in the present embodiment,so that the connector 50 is provided. An end portion of one side of theterminal 51, which is extended from a front face 52 a of the housing 52,is inserted into the corresponding hole 39, and is electricallyconnected to the metal coating layer through solder, which is not shownin the drawings. Another end portion of the terminal 51, which isextended from a rear face of the housing 52, is exposed to the outsideof the chassis 10, and is electrically connected to an externalconnector. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal 51 includes a signalterminal 51 a for transmitting a signal and a power terminal 51 b fortransmitting electric power, which is thicker than the signal terminal51 a. A part of each of the terminals 51, which forms a planar shapealong the main face 31 a, is retained so as not to interfere each otherand arranged along the lateral direction of the housing 52, which has asubstantially rectangular shape with elongated in the lateral direction.

Island portions 53 are disposed on both end portions 52 b of the housing52 in the lateral direction. The island portions 53 are extendedoutwardly from portions corresponding to four corners of the housing 52.As shown in FIG. 2, a groove portion 54 having a vertical slit shape isformed from a top surface of one of the island portions 53 to anopposing surface of another island portion 53 in the front-reardirection. The retaining member 60 is inserted from an upper portioninto each of the groove portions 54, which are located on both sides ofthe housing 52 in the lateral direction.

The retaining member 60 is inserted into the opening 34, and makes theconnector 50 difficult to pull out from the substrate 31 at least beforethe soldering. That is, the retaining member 60 retains the connector 50on the main face 31 a of the substrate 31. As shown in FIG. 3, theretaining member 60 includes a base portion 61 and the first leg portion62, i.e., a pair of first leg portions 72 and 82, which are integrallyformed.

The base portion 61 is a fixing portion of the retaining member 60 tothe housing 52. The base portion 61 has a substantially rectangular flatplate shape. The base portion 61 is inserted into and fixed to thegroove portion 54 formed on the end portion 52 b of the housing 52. Thefirst leg portion 62 is extended downwardly, that is, toward thesubstrate 31, from a lower end portion at a substantial center portionof the base portion 61.

The first leg portion 62 is a portion for retaining the connector 50 onthe main face 31 a of the substrate 31 at least before the soldering. Apart of the first leg portion 62 is inserted into the opening 34 of thesubstrate 31. As the first leg portion 62, the pair of first legportions 72 and 82 is extended in a same direction, that is, downwardlyfrom the lower end portion at the substantial center portion of the baseportion 61.

In the pair of first leg portions 72 and 82, one first leg portion 72includes a latch portion 73 disposed on an end portion of the first legportion 72, i.e., a lower end of the first leg portion 72. With theconnector 50 retained on the substrate 31, hereinafter referred to as aretaining state, a part of the latch portion 73 is disposed at theperiphery of the opening 34 in the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31.The latch portion 73 is connected to an end portion of a couplingportion 74, a part of which is disposed in the opening 34 in theretaining state. Another end portion of the coupling portion 74 isconnected to a spring portion 75 disposed on the main face 31 a of thesubstrate 31 in the retaining state. The spring portion 75 is deformedwhen the latch portion 73 and the coupling portion 74 are inserted intothe opening 34. Thereby, the coupling portion 74 is twisted with respectto the retaining state of the coupling portion 74, and the latch portion73 is inserted into the opening 34. An end portion of the spring portion75 opposite to a connecting portion between the coupling portion 74 andthe spring portion 75 is connected to the base portion 61 through abonding portion 76. The reference numeral 67 shown in FIG. 3 denotes anend face of a flat metal plate for forming the retaining member 60.

As shown in FIG. 3, the linear bonding portion 76 is extended downwardlyfrom the base portion 61 in the same plane with the substantiallyrectangular plate-like base portion 61. In case that the spring portion75 does not contact the base portion 61 by the displacement of thespring portion 75, the bonding portion 76 may not be provided. Thebending process is performed to the metal plate with the metal platebent substantially 90 degrees at the bonding portion 76, that is, withthe metal plate bent toward the outside of the housing 52 in the lateraldirection, as shown in FIG. 2. The substantially U-shaped spring portion75 is extended from the bonding portion 76. The spring portion 75 issupported by the base portion 61 through the bonding portion 76. Thespring portion 75 includes a base part, a folding part and a flectionpart. The base part connecting to the bonding portion 76 is connected tothe folding part opposing to the base part through the flection part.The base part and the folding part are substantially parallel when thespring portion 75 is not displaced. Moreover, the base part and thefolding part are substantially parallel to the main face 31 a of thesubstrate 31. As shown in FIG. 3, a width W of the spring portion 75,i.e., a width in a direction substantially perpendicular to theextending direction of the spring portion 75 and the plate thicknessdirection, is larger than a plate thickness T, i.e., a thickness of theflat metal plate. The metal plate is bent substantially 90 degrees atthe folding portion of the spring portion 75, that is, the metal plateis bent toward the outside of the housing 52 in the lateral direction,as shown in FIG. 2 so that the coupling portion 74 is formed. Thecoupling portion 74 is substantially perpendicular to the main face 31 aof the substrate 31 when the spring portion 75 is not displaced. The endface 67 of the coupling portion 74 opposes to the side wall of theopening 34. The coupling portion 74 is rigid so as to be hardly deformedwhen the latch portion 73 and the coupling portion 74 are inserted intothe opening 34. The length of the coupling portion 74 in the up-downdirection is adjusted so that the spring portion 75 does not contact themain face 31 a of the substrate 31 until the latch portions 73 isdisposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31. The latch portion 73is extended from the coupling portion 74 in the front-rear directionwith the latch portion 73 being in a same plane with a lower end of thecoupling portion 74. A surface of the latch portion 73, the surfacewhich opposes to the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31, issubstantially parallel to the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31. Thenearer an edge portion of the latch portion 73 apart from the couplingend of the coupling portion 74 in the front-rear direction, the narrowera width of the latch portion 73 in the up-down direction. That is, thelatch portion 73 has a wedge shape. At least a part of the end face 67of the latch portion 73 is disposed on or opposed to the rear face 31 bof the substrate 31 in the retaining state.

On the other hand, another first leg portion 82 extends in the samedirection with the first leg portion 72 from a lower end portion at asubstantially center portion of the base portion 61. The first legportion 82 is symmetrical to the first leg portion 72. The first legportion 82 includes a latch portion 83, a coupling portion 84, a springportion 85 and a bonding portion 86 same as the first leg portion 72.

The direction of the latch portion 73 extending from the couplingportion 74 in the first leg portion 72 is opposite to the direction ofthe latch portion 83 extending from the coupling portion 84 in the firstleg portion 82. As shown in FIG. 6B, the latch portion 73 is disposed onthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 at one side in the longitudinaldirection, i.e., in the front-rear direction, of the opening 34. Thelatch portion 83 is disposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31at another side, with respect to a cross section of the substantiallyellipsoidal-shaped opening 34, which is elongated in the front-reardirection. As shown in FIG. 5, a width H of each of the couplingportions 74 and 84 is smaller than a half of the length of a width D.The width D is an inner diameter of the opening 34, in which the latchportions 73 and 83 are latched in the front-rear direction. Lengths ofthe first leg portions 72 and 82 are adjusted such that the first legportions 72 and 82 do not contact each other when the first leg portions72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34. As shown in FIG. 6A, whenthe spring portions 75 and 85 are not displaced, a width S between anouter surface of the coupling portion 74 and an outer surface of thecoupling portion 84 is smaller than the width D of the opening 34. Thatis, when a part of each of the latch portions 73 and 83 is disposed onthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31, the coupling portions 74 and 84do not contact the side wall of the opening 34 so that there areclearance between the outer surface of the coupling portion 74 and theopposing side wall and clearance between the outer surface of thecoupling portion 84 and the opposing side wall.

A flat metal plate is punched out in the die cutting process and bentpartially so that the retaining member 60 is formed. The flat metalplate is punched out to have a shape as shown in FIG. 4. In the step,the bonding portions 76 and 86, the spring portions 75 and 85, thecoupling portions 74 and 84, and the latch portions 73 and 83 aredisposed in the same plane with the base portion 61. Boundaries 101between the bonding portion 76 and the spring portion 75 and between thebonding portion 86 and the spring portion 85 are curved substantially 90degrees with respect to the retaining member 60. Then, the springportions 75 and 85 are bent to be substantially U-shaped. Boundaries 102between the spring portion 75 and the coupling portion 74 and betweenthe spring portion 85 and the coupling portion 84 are curvedsubstantially 90 degrees. Thereby, the retaining member 60 shown in FIG.3 is made from one metal plate. Therefore, the latch portions 73 and 83are formed by only the die cutting process without the bending process.

Next, a method for retaining the connector 50 on the substrate 31 by theretaining member 60 will be described. Firstly, the base portion 61 ofthe retaining member 60 is inserted into and fixed to the groove portion54 of the connector 50. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the latch portions 73and 83 of the retaining member 60 are inserted into the opening 34toward the rear face 31 b from the main face 31 a in a direction shownby an outline arrow in FIG. 5. A distance between an end of the edgeportion of the latch portion 73 and an end of the edge portion of thelatch portion 83 before inserting is longer than the width D of theopening 34. Each of the latch portions 73 and 83 has the wedge shape,and spring portions 75 and 85 can be deformed elastically in the platethickness direction. Therefore, when the retaining member 60 is insertedinto the opening 34 in the direction of the outline arrow in FIG. 5 andthe latch portions 73 and 83 contact the substrate 31, the springportions 75 and 85 are displaced, i.e., elastically deformed with thesupporting portions by the base member 61 as a fulcrum point. Thereby,the wedge-shaped latch portions 73 and 83 proceed to the inside of theopening 34 along slopes of the latch portions 73 and 83. As shown inFIG. 5, in the substantially U-shaped spring portions 75 and 85, atleast the connection portions of the folding portions with each of thecoupling portions 74 and 84 are displaced upwardly. The wedge-shapedlatch portions 73 and 83 are inserted into the opening 34 by thedisplacement of the spring portions 75 and 85. The coupling portions 74and 84 are hardly deformed elastically. The coupling portions 74 and 84are twisted with respect to the coupling portions 74 and 84 in theretaining state or the state before inserting. That is, the springportions 75 and 85 are displaced such that the coupling portions 74 and84 are twisted, and the latch portions 73 and 83 are inserted into theopening 34. A dashed-dotted line shown in FIG. 5 represents the firstleg portion 72 when the spring portion 75 is not displaced.

Edge portions of the latch portions 73 and 83 contact the side wall ofthe opening 34 by reactive force or restoring force generated by theelastic deformation of the spring portions 75 and 85. The retainingportion 60 is further pushed into the opening 34 so that the latchportions 73 and 83 are passed through the opening 34. As shown in FIG.6A and FIG. 6B, at least a part of the latch portions 73 and 83 isdisposed at the periphery of the opening 34 on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31 by reactive force of the spring portions 75 and 85.Thereby, the retaining member 60, i.e., the connector 50, is retained onthe substrate 31.

In the present embodiment, a terminal having the through-hole mountingstructure is used as the terminal 51. The terminal 51 is connected tothe land formed on the side wall and the periphery of the hole 39 by theflow soldering with the terminal 51 inserted into the corresponding hole39. The retaining member 60 is also connected to the land by the flowsoldering. In the flow soldering process, after the retaining member 60is inserted into the opening 34 and the latch portions 73 and 83 aredisposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31, the rear face 31 bis totally or locally soaked in the molten solder. The metal coatinglayer formed on the side wall and the periphery of the opening 34 andthe first leg portions 72 and 82 of the retaining member 60 are wettedby the molten solder. The molten solder is absorbed in the opening 34through the surfaces of the latch portions 73 and 83 and the couplingportions 74 and 84 and side wall of the opening 34. As shown in FIG. 7,the molten solder 36 is absorbed over the main face 31 a of thesubstrate 31. The fillets are formed on the main face 31 a of thesubstrate 31 to cover the main face 31 a and the coupling portions 74and 84. The fillets are formed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31to cover the rear face 31 b and the latch portions 73 and 83. Therefore,the retaining member 60 is also connected to the metal coating layerformed on the side wall and the periphery of the opening 34 through thesolder 36.

The retaining member 60 includes the base portion 61 and the first legportion 62, i.e., the first leg portions 72 and 82, which are made ofthe same metal plate. The retaining member 60 further includes a latchportion 63, i.e., the latch portions 73 and 83, which is passed throughthe opening 34 and disposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 atthe periphery of the opening 34 in the retaining state. A spring portion65, i.e., the spring portions 75 and 85, which is connected to the latchportion 63 through a coupling portion 64, i.e., the coupling portions 74and 84, is displaced. Thereby, the latch portion 63 is passed throughthe opening 34 to be disposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31.When external force for pulling the first leg portion 62 out of theopening 34, that is, external force for pulling the connector 50 out ofthe substrate 31, is acted, the latch portion 63 is latched on the rearface 31 b of the substrate 31. Therefore, compared to the conventionalretaining member, bearing force with respect to tensile is improved, andhereby, the retaining strength of the connector 50 to the substrate 31can be increased. That is, the connector 50 can be made difficult to beunlatched from the substrate 31 before the terminal 51 is soldered.

The latch portion 63 latched on the substrate 31 and the spring portion65 are disposed on different positions in the first leg portion 62, andthe spring portion 65 can not be inserted into the opening 34. That is,the spring portion 65 is not latched on the substrate 31 by reactiveforce generated by the deformation of the spring portion 65. The springportion 65 has spring property that can dispose the latch portion 63 onthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 when the latch portion 63 and thecoupling portion 64 are inserted into the opening 34 and the latchportion 63 is passed through the opening 34. In other words, springproperty that the edge portion of the latch portion 63 strongly contactsthe side wall of the opening 34 when the latch portion 63 and thecoupling portion 64 are inserted into the opening 34 is unnecessary.Thereby, inserting force of the latch portion 63 and the couplingportion 64 into the opening 34 can be decreased. In contrast to theconventional retaining member, in which the spring portion is latched onthe side wall of the opening, damage of the side wall of the opening 34or damage of the metal coating layer formed on the wall surface can bedecreased. The spring portion 65 can also be designed freely.

In the present embodiment, the width W of the spring portion 65′ islarger than the thickness T of the metal plate. Thereby, when the latchportion 63 and the coupling portion 64 are inserted into the opening 34or when external force for pulling the first leg portion 62 out of theopening 34 is acted with the strength of the spring portion 65increased, the deformation or the damage of the spring portion 65 can besuppressed.

In the present embodiment, the latch portion 63 is formed by only thedie cutting process of the metal plate. Compared to the bending process,the deformation or the damage of the spring portion 65 can besuppressed. Thereby, the retaining strength of the connector 50 to thesubstrate 31 can be increased.

In the present embodiment, the substantially U-shaped spring portion 65is used. By using the folded spring portion, the spring portion 65 canbe lengthened in the extending direction, i.e., the longitudinaldirection to increase the stroke of the spring portion 65. The latchportion 63 is lengthened, so that the latch portion 63 can be madedifficult to be unlatched from the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31.That is, pulling out of the first leg portion 62 from the opening 34,i.e., pulling out of the connector 50 from the substrate 31, can besuppressed.

In the present embodiment, the retaining portion 60 includes the pair offirst leg portions 72 and 82 extended in the same direction from thebase portion 61, and the first leg portions 72 and 82 face each other.The extending direction of the latch portion 73 of the first leg portion72 from the coupling portion 74 is opposite to the extending directionof the latch portion 83 of the first leg portion 82 from the couplingportion 84. As described above, in case that multiple first leg portions72 and 82 are extended from one base portion 61, the retaining strengthof the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can be increased compared to thecase that only one first leg portion is extended from a base portion 61.Since the extending direction of the latch portion 73 is opposite to theextending direction of the latch portion 83, unsteadiness to thesubstrate 31 can be suppressed. Thereby, the latch portions 73 and 83can be made difficult to be unlatched from the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31. Particularly, in the present embodiment, since theextending direction of the latch portion 73 is opposite to the extendingdirection of the latch portion 83, unsteadiness to the substrate 31 canbe suppressed effectively.

In the present embodiment, the opening 34, into which the first legportions 72 and 82 of the retaining member 60 are inserted, has the longhole shape with extended in one direction. The latch portion 73 of thefirst leg portion 72 is extended from the coupling portion 74 in thelongitudinal direction of the opening 34, and the latch portion 83 ofthe first leg portion 82 is extended from the coupling portion 84 in thelongitudinal direction of the opening 34. The extended direction of thelatch portion 73 is opposite to the extended direction of the latchportion 83. The latch portions 73 and 83 are disposed at the peripheryof the opening 34 in the longitudinal side on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31. In this manner, the opening 34 is formed to have the longhole shape, the coupling portions 74 and 84 can be twisted widely whenthe first leg portions 72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34compared to a circular opening having the same cross section with theopening 34. That is, reactive force of the spring portions 75 and 85decreases, and inserting force of the latch portions 73 and 83 and thecoupling portions 74 and 84 to the opening 34 can be decreased.Therefore, when the latch portions 73 and 83 and the coupling portions74 and 84 are inserted into the opening 34, the damage of the side wallof the opening 34 can be decreased. In addition, the longitudinaldirection of the opening 34 is substantially parallel to the latitudinaldirection, i.e., the front-rear direction, of the housing 52 of theconnector 50. Therefore, the arrangement space of wiring on thesubstrate 31 can be easily set.

In the present embodiment, the coupling portion 64 does not contact theside wall of the opening 34 in the retaining state. That is, there is aclearance between the outer surface of the coupling portion 64 and theopening 34. Thus, when the flow soldering is performed, it becomes easyfor the molten solder to be absorbed through the clearance by thecapillary action. Therefore, reliability of the connection of theretaining member 60 to the substrate 31 or the metal coating layerthrough the solder can be increased.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 11.

Although the spring portion 65 of the first embodiment is substantiallyU-shaped, the spring portion 65 may be an arbitrary form as long as thelatch portion 63 and the coupling portion 64 can be inserted into theopening 34 and the latch portion 63 can be disposed on the rear face 31b of the substrate 31 by the displacement of the spring portion 65. Inthe present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a flat plate spring is usedas the spring portion 65. The pair of the first leg portions 72 and 82is extended form the same base portion 61.

Specifically, taking one first leg portion 72 as an example, the bondingportion 76 having a crank shape is extended downwardly from thesubstantially rectangular flat plate-like base portion 61 in the sameplane with the base portion 61. The bonding portion 76 is bentsubstantially 90 degrees so that the flat plate spring portion 75 isextended from the bonding portion 76. The spring portion 75 issubstantially parallel to the main face 31 a of the substrate 31 beforethe spring portion 75 is displaced. The spring portion 75 is bentsubstantially 90 degrees so that the coupling portion 74 is extendedfrom the spring portion 75 as the first embodiment. The latch portion 73is extended from the coupling portion 74 in the front-rear direction inthe same plane with the lower end of the linear coupling portion 74.That is, elements other than the spring portion 75 and the bondingportion 76 are same as the elements shown in the first embodiment.

A flat metal plate is punched out in the die cutting process and bentpartially so that the retaining member 60 is formed. The flat metalplate is punched out to have a shape as shown in FIG. 9. In the step,the bonding portions 76 and 86, the spring portions 75 and 85, thecoupling portions 74 and 84, and the latch portions 73 and 83 aredisposed in the same plane with the base portion 61. Boundaries 103between the bonding portion 76 and the spring portion 75 and between thebonding portion 86 and the spring portion 85 are curved substantially 90degrees with respect to the flat plate retaining member 60. Boundaries104 between the spring portion 75 and the coupling portion 74 andbetween the spring portion 85 and the coupling portion 84 are curvedsubstantially 90 degrees in the opposite direction from the curveddirection at the boundaries 103. Thereby, the retaining member 60 shownin FIG. 8 is made from one metal plate. That is, the latch portions 73and 83 are formed by only the die cutting process without the bendingprocess.

The case that the flat plate spring portion 65, i.e., the pair of thespring portions 75 and 85, is used will be described. When the retainingmember 60, i.e., the connector 50, is pushed into the substrate 31 andthe latch portions 73 and 83 contact the substrate 31, the wedge-shapedlatch portions 73 and 83 are displaced, i.e., the elastically deformed,with a portion supported by the base portion 61 and the bonding portions76 and 86 as a fulcrum point. Thereby, the latch portions 73 and 83proceed to the inside of the opening 34 along slopes of the latchportions 73 and 83. The connection portions of the spring portions 75and 85 with each of the coupling portions 74 and 84 are displacedupwardly. The spring portions 75 and 85 are displaced so that thewedge-shaped latch portions 73 and 83 are inserted into the opening 34.The coupling portions 74 and 84 hardly perform the elastic deformationand are twisted with respect to the retaining state of the couplingportions 74 and 84. That is, the spring portions 75 and 85 are displacedso that the coupling portions 74 and 84 are twisted and the latchportions 73 and 83 are inserted into the opening 34. Edge portions ofthe latch portions 73 and 83 contact the side wall of the opening 34 byreactive force or restoring force generated by the elastic deformationof the spring portions 75 and 85. The retaining portion 60 is furtherpushed into the opening 34 so that the latch portions 73 and 83 arepassed through the opening 34. Thereby, at least a part of the latchportions 73 and 83 is disposed at the periphery of the opening 34 on therear face 31 b of the substrate 31 by reactive force of the springportions 75 and 85. As described above, the flat plate spring can beused as the spring portion 65. When the flat plate spring portion 65 isused, the bending process, which is necessary for the substantiallyU-shaped spring portion 65, becomes unnecessary.

The spring portions 75 and 85 shown in FIG. 8 are linear in theextending direction, i.e., in the longitudinal direction. However, thefolded spring may be used as the flat plate spring portion such as thesubstantially U-shaped spring portion 65 as shown in FIG. 10. In casethat the flat plate spring or the folded spring is used, the amount ofdisplacement, i.e., stroke of the spring portion 65 can be increased bylengthening the spring length in the extending direction. In addition, ameandering shape may be used as the spring portion 65. The retainingmember 60 shown in FIG. 10 is formed as follows. The flat metal plate ispunched out to have a shape as shown in FIG. 11. Boundaries 105 betweenthe bonding portion 76 and the spring portion 75 and between the bondingportion 86 and the spring portion 85 are curved substantially 90degrees, and boundaries 106 between the spring portion 75 and thecoupling portion 74 and between the spring portion 85 and the couplingportion 84 are curved substantially 90 degrees in the opposite directionfrom the curved direction at the boundaries 105.

Third Embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 12 to FIG. 13B.

FIG. 12 shows that an edge portion 73 b of the latch portion 63, i.e.,the pair of latch portions 73 and 83, is angular-shaped, that is, anangle below 90 degrees. When the first leg portion 62, i.e., the pair offirst leg portions 72 and 82, is inserted into the opening 34 and thelatch portion 63 passes through the opening 34, a part of the latchportion 63 shifts to the outside from the opening 34 by reactive forceor restoring force of the spring portion 65, i.e., the pair of springportions 75 and 85. Therefore, the edge portion 73 b may scratch a metalcoating layer 37 a formed on an end portion of the side wall of theopening 34 of a metal coating layer 37. The metal coating layer 37 isdisposed on the side wall and at the periphery of the opening 34. InFIG. 12, a solid line represents the first leg portion 62 just beforethe latch portion 63 passes through the opening 34, and a dashed-dottedline represents the first leg portion 62 disposed on the rear face 31 bof the substrate 31.

FIG. 13A shows that the edge portion 73 b, which is located farthestfrom the opening 34 in the retaining state, has a polygonal shape in thedirection perpendicular to the up-down direction. The polygonal shape isobtained by connecting multiple angles more than 90 degrees. In FIG.13A, three angles are connected. FIG. 13B shows that the edge portion 73b has a rounded shape. Thereby, pressure applied to the metal coatinglayer 37 a decreases and damage of the metal coating layer 37 by theedge portion 73 b can be suppressed.

Fourth Embodiment

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIG. 14 to FIG. 16.

In contrast to the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14, thewidth S between the outer surface of the coupling portion 74 and theouter surface of the coupling portion 84 is larger than the width D ofthe opening 34 in the present embodiment. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 15,a part of the coupling portions 74 and 84 contacts the side wall of theopening 34 in the retaining state. Since the retaining member 60contacts the substrate 31 in the retaining state, unsteadiness of theconnector 50 to the substrate 31 can be suppressed. In this case, thespring portions 75 and 85 are displaced in the retaining state.

In case that the coupling portions 74 and 84, which are linear in theup-down direction, are used as shown in FIG. 14, the width S between theouter surface of the coupling portion 74 and the outer surface of thecoupling portion 84 is not constant. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, awidth S1, which is the width S at the rear face 31 b of the substrate31, is smaller than a width S2, which is the width S at the main face 31a of the substrate 31. Therefore, the retaining member 60 has clearances107 between the outer surface of the coupling portion 74 and theopposing wall surface and between the outer surface of the couplingportion 84 and the opposing wall surface from the rear face 31 b to themain face 31 a in the opening 34. Thereby, when the flow solderingprocess is performed from the rear face 31 b side, it becomes easy forthe molten solder to be absorbed to the main face 31 a side through theclearances 107 by the capillary action.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16, in case that a width H1 of each of thecoupling portions 74 and 84 is broadened toward the connection portionwith each of the spring portions 75 and 85 from the connection portionwith each of the latch portions 73 and 83, the same effect can beobtained. In this case, the spring portions 75 and 85 may not bedisplaced in the retaining state.

Fifth Embodiment

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B.

In the above-described embodiments, the latch portion 63 has the wedgeshape, and the surface of the latch portion 63 opposing the rear face 31b of the substrate 31 is substantially parallel to the rear face 31 b.By using the retaining member 60 having such the latch portion 63, thethickness of the substrate 31 being capable of retaining the connector50 is determined based on a distance between a locating portion, whichis not shown in the drawings, of the housing 52 contacting the main face31 a of the substrate 31 and the opposing surface. On the other hand,the latch portions 63 have a tapered shape. As shown in FIG. 17A, thelarger a distance between an opposing portion 73 a facing the rear face31 b of the substrate 31 in the wedge-shaped latch portion 63 and thecorresponding coupling portion 64 in the front-rear direction, thelarger a distance between the opposing portion 73 a and the main face 31a of the substrate 31 in the up-down direction in the retaining state.

In the above-described structure, although production variation andassembly variation in tolerance range are generated in the retainingmember 60, the substrate 31 and the housing 52 in the up-down direction,the latch portion 63 can be latched on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31. In other words, unsteadiness between the substrate 31 andthe connector 50 can be suppressed. In addition, the retaining members60 having the same structure can be used as common members with respectto the substrates 31 having different thicknesses. As shown in FIG. 17B,the retaining member 60 used for the substrate 31 having a thickness P1shown in FIG. 17A can be used for the substrate 31 having a thicknessP2, which is larger than P1. The spring portion 65 is not displaced inFIG. 17A. The spring portion 65 is displaced in FIG. 17B.

Sixth Embodiment

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 18.

In the present embodiment, the retaining member 60 includes aninclination limiter 77 extending toward a portion between the pair ofcoupling portions 74 and 84, end portions of which oppose each other.The inclination limiter 77 is extended in the same direction with thepair of first leg portions 72 and 82. The inclination limiter 77 islocated separately from the coupling portions 74 and 84 before the firstleg portions 72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34. The inclinationlimiter 77 includes a bonding portion 77 a and a center portion 77 b.The bonding portion 77 a is extended from the base portion 61 andlocated in the same plane with the base portion 61. The center portion77 b is connected to a lower end of the bonding portion 77 a. The centerportion 77 b is bent to be an inverted L-shaped and a part thereof islocated in a region, in which the coupling portions 74 and 84 oppose.The center portion 77 b is formed such that the end face 67 of thecenter portion 77 b, which is located in the region, opposes to theinside end face 67 of the coupling portions 74 and 84.

Thereby, the inclination of the coupling portions 74 and 84 can belimited by the center portion 77 b disposed between the pair of couplingportions 74 and 84. Even if the opening 34 and the pair of first legportions 72 and 82 are out of predetermined positions when the first legportions 72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34, the couplingportions 74 and 84 contact the inclination limiter 77 and the couplingportions 74 and 84 can not incline widely. Thereby, the deformation andthe damage of the first leg portions 72 and 82 can be suppressed. Whenthe flow soldering is performed, the molten solder flows into aclearance between the coupling portion 74 and the center portion 77 band a clearance between the coupling portion 84 and the center portion77 b by the capillary action and it becomes easy for the molten solderto be absorbed over the main face 31 a of the substrate 31. Since theinclination limiter 77 contacts the solder, the contact area between thesolder and the retaining member increases. Therefore, bearing force withrespect to tensile can be improved.

Seventh Embodiment

Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIG. 19 to FIG. 31B.

An electric control device 1 in FIG. 19 includes a circuit board 30, inwhich an electric component 32 is mounted on a substrate 31, a connector50 including terminals 51, the housing 52 and retaining members 60 as asubstantial part. Other than the above-described elements, the electriccontrol device 1 includes a chassis 10 for holding the circuit board 30and the connector 50.

The chassis 10 is made of metal material such as aluminum and iron orresin material, and the circuit board 30 and a part of the connector 50are held inside the chassis 10. The chassis 10 may be configured fromone element or multiple elements. In the present embodiment, as shown inFIG. 19, the chassis 10 is configured by two elements, that is, abox-shaped case 11 with one side opened, and a cover 12 for closing theone side of the case 11. The cover 12 is substantially rectangularplate-like shape and has a shallow bottom. By combining the case 11 withthe cover 12, the chassis 10 including internal space for holding thecircuit board 30 and the connector 50 is provided. A window portion,which is not shown in the drawings, for the connector 50 is provided inthe chassis 10 or the case 11. The case 11 and the cover 12 are combinedby screws, for example, to hold the circuit board 30. Then, the circuitboard 30 and a part of the connector 50 including a connecting side tothe circuit board 30 in the terminal 51 are held inside the chassis 10.The rest of the connector 50 including a connecting side to an externalconnector in the terminal 51 is exposed outside the chassis 10.

As shown in FIG. 19, the electric components 32 such as a microcomputer,a power transistor, a resistor and a capacitor are mounted on thesubstrate 31, in which wirings including lands as electrodes and viaholes for connecting between the wirings are disposed, so that thecircuit board 30 is provided. In the present embodiment, the connector50 for electrically connecting the circuit board 30 to the externalconnector is mounted on the substrate 31 as one of the electriccomponents 32. Multiple lands 33, which are arranged as multiple stages,are provided on a main face 31 a of the substrate 31 not only in thelateral direction but also in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG.20. In FIG. 20, a part of a main body portion of the connector is shownby a broken line to show terminals and retaining members under the mainbody portion. Each of the lands 33 is connected to a mounting portion ofthe corresponding terminal 51, which is disposed on each of the lands33, through solder, which is not shown in the drawings.

In the substrate 31, four openings 34 are provided at both end portionsof the connector 50 and two portions between the both end portions ofthe connector 50. The openings 34 sandwich the lands 33 in the lateraldirection. As shown in FIG. 21, the first leg portion 62, that is, apair of first leg portions 72 and 82 of the retaining member 60 isinserted into the opening 34. In FIG. 21, the retaining member 60 isshown as a planer shape. The cross-sectional shape of the opening 34 maybe taken an arbitrary form. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG.22, the length of the opening 34 in the front-rear direction is largerthan that in the lateral direction. The opening 34 has a substantiallyelliptical cross-sectional shape, that is, a long hole shape with adiameter D in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22,the pair of first leg portions 72 and 82 is inserted into one opening34. In addition, as shown in FIG. 21, FIG. 22 and FIG. 24, a dummy land35 is formed at the periphery of the opening 34. The dummy land 35 doesnot provide an electrical connecting function due to patterning ofconductive foil or plating. In FIG. 24, the retaining member 60 is shownas a planer shape. As shown in FIG. 24, the first leg portion 72 isconnected to the dummy land 35 through solder 36. Although only thefirst leg portion 72 is shown in FIG. 24, the first leg portion 82 hasthe same structure with the first leg portion 72. The dummy land 35includes a main face portion 35 a provided at the periphery of theopening 34 on the main face 31 a of the substrate 31, a wall surfaceportion 35 b provided on a side wall of the opening 34, a rear faceportion 35 c provided at the periphery of the opening 34 on a rear face31 b of the substrate 31, and an inner layer portion 35 d provided in aninner layer of the substrate 31. The solder 36 is disposed on the mainface portion 35 a and the wall surface portion 35 b, and the solder 36is connected to a coupling portion 74. The dummy lands 35 are providedin all the openings 34. By forming all the dummy lands 35 to have thesame structures, each of the thicknesses of the substrate 31 at each ofthe forming regions of the dummy lands 35 may not be varied. Therefore,unsteadiness of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can be suppressed.

Multiple terminals 51 made of a conductive material are arranged on themain face 31 a of the substrate 31 along with the housing 52 made of anelectrical insulating material, resin is used in the present embodiment,so that the connector 50 is provided. An end portion of one side of theterminal 51, which is extended from a front face 52 a of the housing 52,is disposed on the corresponding land 33 as the mounting portion, and iselectrically connected to the land 33 through solder, which is not shownin the drawings. Another end portion of the terminal 51, which isextended from a rear face of the housing 52, is exposed to the outsideof the chassis 10, and is electrically connected to an externalconnector. That is, the terminal 51 having a surface mounting structure,which has only a surface mounting portion as the mounting portion of theland 33, is used as the terminal 51. As shown in FIG. 20, the terminal51 having the surface mounting structure includes a signal terminal 51 afor transmitting a signal and a power terminal 51 b for transmittingelectric power, which is thicker than the signal terminal 51 a. A partof each of the terminals 51, which forms a planar shape along the mainface 31 a of the substrate 31, is retained so as not to interfere eachother and arranged along the lateral direction of the housing 52, whichhas a substantially rectangular shape with elongated in the lateraldirection.

As shown in FIG. 21, a groove portion 52 c for the retaining member 60is arranged at each of the four portions, that is, at the periphery ofboth end portions 52 b and two portions between the both end portions 52b in the lateral direction, toward the rear face from the front face 52a. The retaining member 60 is inserted into the groove portion 52 c fromthe front face 52 a toward the rear face side. Thus, the retainingmember 60 is fixed to the housing 52, consequently, to the connector 50as the electric component. The housing 52 has a two-stage structure inthe front-rear direction. In FIG. 19 to FIG. 21, reference numeral 52 ddenotes a rear step portion including a joint portion with the externalconnector, and reference numeral 52 e denotes a front step portionincluding the front face 52 a. The groove portion 52 c opens toward thefront face 52 a of the front step portion 52 e and downwardly, and thegroove portion 52 c is extended to the rear step portion 52 d from thefront step portion 52 e.

The retaining member 60 is inserted into the opening 34 of the substrate31, and makes the connector 50 difficult to come out from the substrate31. That is, the retaining member 60 retains the connector 50 on themain face 31 a of the substrate 31. As shown in FIG. 23, a metal platehaving a thickness T is processed to provide the retaining member 60including a base portion 61 and the first leg portion 62, which areintegrally formed.

The base portion 61 is a fixing portion of the retaining member 60 intothe housing 52. In the present embodiment, the base portion 61 has aflat plate shape and the base portion 61 is inserted into and fixed tothe groove portion 52 c, which opens toward the front face 52 a of thehousing 52. As shown in FIG. 23, the base portion 61 includes anL-shaped portion 61 a extending in the front-rear direction and theup-down direction, a bifurcated portion 61 b extending to a rear faceside of the housing 52 from an end portion of the base portion 61 a in aportion extending in the front-rear direction of the L-shaped portion 61a, and a T-shaped portion 61 c extending in the front-rear directionfrom an end portion of the L-shaped portion 61 a at a lower face side,the end portion which opposes the substrate 31 in a portion extending inthe up-down direction of the L-shaped portion 61 a. The base portion 61is inserted into and fixed to the groove portion 52 c of the housing 52with the bifurcated portion 61 b as a lead and the T-shaped portion 61 cas a bottom. In the retaining state, a position of an end surface of theL-shaped portion 61 a at the front face 52 a side is aligned with thefront face 52 a of the housing 52 or is disposed at the rear side of thehousing 52 from the front face 52 a. With respect to the base portion61, the first leg portion 62 is extended downwardly, that is, toward thesubstrate 31.

The first leg portion 62 is a portion for retaining the connector 50 onthe main face 31 a of the substrate 31, and a part of the first legportion 62 is inserted into the opening 34 of the substrate 31. In thepresent embodiment, the pair of first leg portions 72 and 82 is extendedin a same direction, that is, downwardly from each of end portions ofthe T-shaped portion 61 c of the base portion 61 in the front-reardirection.

In the first leg portions 72 and 82, one first leg portion 72 includes alatch portion 73 disposed on an end portion of the first leg portion 72,i.e., a lower end of the first leg portion 72. With the connector 50retained on the substrate 31, i.e., in the retaining state, a part ofthe latch portion 73 is disposed at the periphery of the opening 34 onthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31. The latch portion 73 isconnected to an end portion of the coupling portion 74, a part of whichis disposed in the opening 34 in the retaining state. Another endportion of the coupling portion 74 is connected to a spring portion 75disposed on the main face 31 a of the substrate 31 in the retainingstate. The spring portion 75 is deformed when the latch portion 73 andthe coupling portion 74 are inserted into the opening 34. Thereby, thecoupling portion 74 is twisted with respect to the retaining state ofthe coupling portion 74 and the latch portion 73 is inserted into theopening 34. A width W of the spring portion 75 in the latitudinaldirection is larger than the thickness T of the metal plate, and thespring portion 75 deforms elastically in the plate thickness direction.The spring portion 75 extends in the substantially same direction withthe coupling portion 74, a portion between a coupling end of the springportion 75 with the coupling portion 74 and a coupling end of the springportion 75 with the base portion 61 is a flat plate before the springportion 75 is displaced. The thickness direction of the flat plateportion is substantially parallel to a direction of the latch portion 73extended from the coupling portion 74 before the displacement of thespring portion 75. An opposite end portion of the coupling end of thecoupling portion 74 in the spring portion 75 is connected to the baseportion 61. In a plane substantially perpendicular to the platethickness of the flat plate portion, the latitudinal direction is adirection substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal directionconnecting the coupling portion 74 and the base portion 61, that is, anextending direction of the spring portion 75.

The width W of the spring portion 75 in the latitudinal direction issubstantially constant in the longitudinal direction. The flat plateportion of the spring portion 75 is substantially planar U-shaped, andincludes parallel portions 75 a and 75 b and a straight portion 75 c.The straight portion 75 c connects the parallel portion 75 a and theparallel portion 75 b and is longer than the parallel portions 75 a and75 b. An end portion of the parallel portion 75 a connects to an endportion of the T-shaped portion 61 c of the base portion 61 at a frontside, and an end portion of the parallel portion 75 b connects to thecoupling portion 74. The spring portion 75 is curved substantially 90degrees at the same side with respect to the flat plate base portion 61and the coupling portion 74. In case that the spring portion 75 does notcontact the base portion 61 and the coupling portion 74 after thedisplacement of the spring portion 75, the spring portion 75 may notinclude the parallel portions 75 a and 75 b.

A part of the coupling portion 74 other than the coupling end with thespring portion 75 and the latch portion 73 are formed integrally to havea flat plate shape, and the plate thickness of the flat plate couplingportion 74 is substantially parallel to the plate thickness of the baseportion 61. Thereby, the plate thickness of the spring portion 75becomes substantially parallel to the extending direction of the latchportion 73 from the coupling portion 74 before the displacement of thespring portion 75, and becomes substantially perpendicular to the platethickness of the base portion 61 and the plate thickness of the couplingportion 74. Specifically, length of the parallel portions 75 a and 75 bfrom the straight portion 75 c become substantially same, and thecoupling portion 74 and the latch portion 73, which have a flat plateshape formed integrally, and the flat plate base portion 61 are arrangedat same positions in the plate thickness of the base portion 61 beforethe displacement of the spring portion 75.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 23, a width X of the coupling portion 74in the latitudinal direction is larger than the plate thickness T of themetal plate, and the plate thickness of the coupling portion 74 issubstantially perpendicular to the plate thickness of the spring portion75. Thereby, the coupling portion 74 is rigid so as to be hardlydeformed when the latch portion 73 and the coupling portion 74 areinserted into the opening 34. The flat plate portion of the couplingportion 74 is substantially planar L-shaped, and a length of alongitudinal portion 74 a of the coupling portion 74 in the up-downdirection is adjusted so that a latitudinal portion 74 b of the couplingportion 74 and the spring portion 75 do not contact the main face 31 aof the substrate 31 until at least the latch portion 73 is disposed onthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31. In a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the plate thickness of the flat plate portion, thelatitudinal direction of the coupling portion 74 is a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, i.e., theextending direction of the coupling portion 74, for connecting thespring portion 75 to the latch portion 73.

The latch portion 73 extends in the front-rear direction from a lowerend of the longitudinal portion 74 a with respect to the couplingportion 74. In other words, the latch portion 73 extends substantiallyparallel to the direction, in which the latitudinal portion 74 b of thecoupling portion 74 extends. As shown in FIG. 21, in the retainingstate, the extending direction of the latch portion 73 is substantiallyparallel to the rear face 31 b or the main face 31 a of the substrate31. A width of the latch portion 73 in the up-down direction decreasesas a distance of the latch portion 73 from the coupling end of thecoupling portion 74 in the front-rear direction increases, that is, thelatch portion 73 has a wedge shape. At least a part of the latch portion73 is disposed or opposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 inthe retaining state.

As shown in FIG. 24, the larger a distance between an opposing portion73 a facing the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 in the wedge-shapedlatch portion 73 and the corresponding coupling portion 74 in thefront-rear direction, the larger a distance between the opposing portion73 a and the main face 31 a of the substrate 31 in the up-down directionin the retaining state. The opposing portion 73 a has a tapered shape.Thereby, although production variation and assembly variation intolerance range are generated in the retaining member 60, the substrate31 and the housing 52 in the up-down direction, the latch portion 73 canbe latched on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31. Since an endsurface, which opposes to the substrate 31, of the latitudinal portion74 b or an end surface, which opposes to the substrate 31, of theparallel portion 75 b contacts the main face 31 a of the substrate 31,the substrate 31 is sandwiched between the latitudinal portion 74 b orthe parallel portion 75 b and the latch portion 73. Compared to thestructure that the opposing portion 73 a is substantially parallel tothe rear surface 31 b of the substrate 31, unsteadiness between thesubstrate 31 and the connector 50 can be suppressed. In addition,retaining members 60 having the same structure can be used as commonmembers with respect to the substrates 31 having different thicknesses.

The edge portion of the latch portion 73 may be angular-shaped, that is,an angle below 90 degrees. When the first leg portion 72 is insertedinto the opening 34 and passes through the opening 34, a part of thelatch portion 73 shifts to the outside from the opening 34 by reactiveforce or restoring force of the spring portion 75. Therefore, the edgeportion may scratch a side wall of the opening 34. Specifically, in casethat the wall surface portion 35 b of the dummy land 35 made by platingis disposed on the side wall of the opening 34, the edge portion mayscratch the wall surface portion 35 b. As shown in FIG. 24, an edgeportion 73 b, which is located farthest from the opening 34 in theretaining state, has a rounded shape. Thereby, pressure applied to theside wall of the opening 34 decreases and damage of the side wall of theopening 34 by the edge portion 73 b can be suppressed. The latch portion73 having a polygonal shape, which is obtained by connecting multipleangles more than 90 degrees, may be used other than the rounded shape.Moreover, a peripheral shape along the main face 31 a of the edgeportion in the latch portion 73 may be arcuate shape. Thereby, damage ofthe side wall of the opening can be suppressed. In case that thecoupling portion 74 contacts the side wall of the opening 34, an endsurface, which opposes to the side wall of the opening 34, of thecoupling portion 74 may be arcuate shape.

The first leg portion 82 extends in the same direction with the firstleg portion 72 from the base portion 61, and the first leg portion 82includes a latch portion 83, a coupling portion 84 and a spring portion85 same as the first leg portion 72. The first leg portion 82 is linesymmetrical to the first leg portion 72 in the extending direction ofthe first leg portions 72 and 82.

The direction of the latch portion 73 extended from the coupling portion74 in the first leg portion 72 is opposite to the direction of the latchportion 83 extended from the coupling portion 84 in the first legportion 82. As shown in FIG. 22, the latch portion 73 is disposed on therear face 31 b of the substrate 31 at one side in the longitudinaldirection i.e., in the front-rear direction of the opening 34, and thelatch portion 83 is disposed on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31at another side, with respect to a cross section of the substantiallyellipsoidal-shaped opening 34, which is elongated in the front-reardirection. The width X in the latitudinal direction of each of thecoupling portions 74 and 84 is smaller than half the length of a widthD, i.e., an inner diameter of the opening 34, in which the latchportions 73 and 83 are latched in the front-rear direction. Lengths ofthe first leg portions 72 and 82 are adjusted such that the first legportions 72 and 82 do not contact each other when inserting into theopening 34. As shown in FIG. 21, when the spring portions 75 and 85 arenot displaced, a width P between an outer surface of the couplingportion 74 and an outer surface of the coupling portion 84 is smallerthan the width D of the opening 34. That is, when a part of each of thelatch portions 73 and 83 is disposed on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31, the coupling portions 74 and 84 do not contact the sidewall of the opening 34 so that there are clearances between the outersurface of the coupling portion 74 and the opposing wall surface andbetween the outer surface of the coupling portion 84 and the opposingwall surface.

As shown in FIG. 20, the four retaining members 60 are fixed to thehousing 52. The four retaining members 60 are disposed symmetrically,that is, with respect to a center of the housing 52 in the lateraldirection, the two retaining members 60 are disposed at a left side andother two retaining members 60 are disposed at a right side. Each of theretaining members 60 is disposed such that the plate thickness directionof the base portion 61 becomes substantially parallel to thelongitudinal direction of the housing 52 at the end portion 52 b of thehousing 52 in the longitudinal direction, and the spring portions 75 and85 are bent with respect to the base portion 61 so that the springportions 75 and 85 are bent toward the outside of the end portion 52 bdisposed at a nearer side in the housing 52.

A flat metal plate having a thickness T is punched out and bentpartially so that the retaining member 60 is provided. The flat metalplate is punched out to have a shape as shown in FIG. 25 firstly. In thestep, the spring portions 75 and 85, the coupling portions 74 and 84,and the latch portions 73 and 83 are disposed in the same plane with thebase portion 61. The spring portion 75 is bent substantially 90 degreesto the same side with respect to the base portion 61, the couplingportion 74 and the latch portion 73 with a straight broken line in FIG.25 as a bending position. Thereby, a length of the parallel portion 75 afrom the straight portion 75 c and a length of the parallel portion 75 bfrom the straight portion 75 c become substantially same. The springportion 85 is bent substantially 90 degrees in a direction which closesto the spring portion 75 with respect to the base portion 61, thecoupling portion 84 and the latch portion 83 with the straight brokenline in FIG. 25 as a bending position. Thereby, a length of the parallelportion 85 a from the straight portion 85 c and a length of the parallelportion 85 b from the straight portion 85 c become substantially same.Lengths of each of the spring portions 75 and 85 are substantially thesame. As described above, one metal plate is punched out to have apredetermined shape, and each of the spring portions 75 and 85 are bentso that the retaining member 60 shown in FIG. 23 can be formed. In thepresent embodiment, the latch portions 73 and 83 are formed by only thedie cutting without the bending process.

When the bending process is performed to the metal plate, a convexportion may be formed at the bent position. Thus, as shown in FIG. 26, aconcave portion 78 is formed in advance at a connection portion of thelatitudinal portion 74 b and the parallel portion 75 b at the substrate31 side when the metal plate is punched out. Thereby, when the springportion 75 is bent, generating of the convex portion at the connectionportion can be suppressed. The retaining member 60 can be disposed onthe main face 31 a of the substrate 31 with an end surface of thelatitudinal portion 74 b at the substrate side substantially parallel tothe substrate 31. Although only the first leg portion 72 is shown inFIG. 26, the first leg portion 82 has the same structure as the firstleg portion 72.

Next, a method for retaining the connector 50 on the substrate 31 by theretaining member 60 will be described. In the present embodiment, theterminal having the surface mounting structure, which is connected tothe land 33 formed on the main face 31 a of the substrate 31, is used asthe terminal 51. The retaining member 60 and the terminal 51 are mountedon the substrate 31 together by the reflow soldering, and the retainingmember 60 can be strongly fixed to the substrate 31. Thereby,manufacturing steps can be decreased by mounting the retaining member 60together with the other electric components.

Firstly, the base portion 61 of the retaining member 60 is inserted intoand fixed to the groove portion 52 c. The soldering paste is applied onthe land 33 and the dummy land 35 by screen printing before theconnector 50 with the retaining member 60 fixed to the inside thereof,is mounted on the substrate 31. When the soldering paste is applied inthe opening 34, i.e., on the wall surface portion 35 b of the dummy land35, and first leg portions 72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34,the soldering paste in the opening 34 shifts toward the rear face 31 bso that the soldering paste may drop. In addition, when the latchportions 73 and 83 are disposed at the periphery of the opening 34 atthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 by reactive force of the springportions 75 and 85, the soldering paste may be flicked off. Thereby, areflow furnace may be contaminated by the soldering paste. Therefore,preferably, the soldering paste is applied on only the main face portion35 a of the dummy land 35, and more preferably, the soldering paste isapplied on only a portion far from the opening 34 of the main faceportion 35 a. As shown in FIG. 27, the soldering paste 36 a is appliedon only the portion far from the opening 34 on the main face portion 35a.

As shown in FIG. 28, the latch portions 73 and 83 of the retainingmember 60 are inserted into the opening 34 in a direction toward therear face 31 b from the main face 31 a, i.e., in a direction shown by anoutline arrow in FIG. 28. In FIG. 28, a land of the substrate is notshown for convenience, and the retaining member is shown as a planershape. A distance between an end of the edge portion of the latchportion 73 and an end of the edge portion of the latch portion 83 beforeinserting is longer than the width D of the opening 34. Each of thelatch portions 73 and 83 has the wedge shape, and spring portions 75 and85 can deform elastically in the plate thickness direction. Therefore,the retaining member 60 is inserted into the opening 34 in the directionof the outline arrow in FIG. 28 and the latch portions 73 and 83 contactthe substrate 31, the spring portions 75 and 85 are displaced with theconnection portions with the base portion 61 side as a fulcrum point.Thereby, the wedge-shaped latch portions 73 and 83 proceed into theinside of the opening 34 along slopes of the latch portions 73 and 83.As shown in FIG. 28, the connection portions with the coupling portions74 and 84 sides, which are downside portions of the flat plate-likespring portions 75 and 85, are displaced in the plate thicknessdirection of the spring portions 75 and 85 and in a direction, in whichthe spring portions 75 and 85 move toward each other, in other words, aninward direction of the longitudinal direction of the opening 34 alongthe main face 31 a of the substrate 31. The wedge-shaped latch portions73 and 83 are inserted into the opening 34 by the displacement of thespring portions 75 and 85. Since the plate thickness direction of thecoupling portions 74 and 84 is substantially perpendicular to the platethickness direction of the spring portions 75 and 85, the couplingportions 74 and 84 hardly deform elastically and are twisted withrespect to the retaining state of the coupling portions 74 and 84. Thatis, the spring portions 75 and 85 are displaced such that the couplingportions 74 and 84 are twisted, and the latch portions 73 and 83 areinserted into the opening 34. A dashed line shown in FIG. 28 representsthe first leg portions 72 and 82 when the spring portions 75 and 85 arenot displaced.

Edge portions of the latch portions 73 and 83 contact the side wall ofthe opening 34, i.e., the wall surface portion 35 b, by reactive forceor restoring force generated by the elastic deformation of the springportions 75 and 85. The retaining portion 60 is further pushed into theopening 34 so that the latch portions 73 and 83 are passed through theopening 34. Thereby, at least a part of the latch portions 73 and 83 isdisposed at the periphery of the opening 34 on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31 as shown in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22. End surfaces at thesubstrate side of the latitudinal portions 74 b and 84 b of the couplingportions 74 and 84 and the parallel portions 75 b and 85 b of thesubstantially planar U-shaped spring portions 75 and 85 are laminated onthe main face portion 35 a, which is disposed on the main face 31 a ofthe substrate 31, through the soldering paste. The mounting portion ofeach of the terminals 51 is laminated on the land 33 on the main face 31a of the substrate 31, through the soldering paste.

Reflow is performed with the retaining member 60 disposed on thesubstrate 31 through the soldering paste. Thereby, the molten solder isspread on the main faces of the coupling portions 74 and 84 made ofmetal materials and the dummy land 35 by the capillary action, whichinfluences between the side wall of the opening 34, i.e., the wallsurface portion 35 b of the dummy land 35, and each of the longitudinalportions 74 a and 84 a and between the main face portion 35 a and eachof the parallel portions 75 b, 85 b, the latitudinal portions 74 b and84 b. Thus, in the present embodiment, the retaining member 60 isconnected to the dummy land 35 disposed on the side wall of the opening34 and the periphery of the opening 34, through the solder 36, as shownin FIG. 24.

The retaining member 60 includes the base portion 61 and the first legportion 62, which are made of the same metal plate. The retaining member60 further includes the latch portions 73 and 83, which are passedthrough the opening 34 and disposed on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31 at the periphery of the opening 34 in the retaining state.Each of the spring portions 75 and 85, which is connected to each of thelatch portions 73 and 83 through each of the coupling portions 74 and84, is displaced. Thereby, the latch portions 73 and 83 are passedthrough the opening 34 so that the latch portions 73 and 83 are disposedon the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31. When external force forpulling the first leg portion 62 out of the opening 34, i.e., externalforce for pulling the connector 50 out of the substrate 31, is applied,the latch portions 73 and 83 are latched on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31. Therefore, compared to the conventional retaining member,bearing force with respect to tensile force is improved, and hereby, theretaining strength of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can beincreased. That is, the connector 50 can be made difficult to beunlatched from the substrate 31 before the terminal 51 is soldered.

The latch portions 73 and 83 latched on the substrate 31 and the springportions 75 and 85 are disposed on different positions from each otherin the first leg portions 72 and 82, and the spring portions 75 and 85cannot be inserted into the opening 34. That is, the spring portions 75and 85 are not latched on the substrate 31 by reactive force generatedby the deformation of the spring portions 75 and 85. The spring portions75 and 85 have spring property that can arrange the latch portions 73and 83 on the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31 when the latch portions73 and 83 and the coupling portions 74 and 84 are inserted into theopening 34 and the latch portions 73 and 83 are passed through theopening 34. In other words, spring property that the edge portions ofthe latch portions 73 and 83 strongly contact the side wall of theopening 34 when the latch portions 73 and 83 and the coupling portions74 and 84 are inserted into the opening 34 is unnecessary. Thereby,inserting force of the latch portions 73 and 83 and the couplingportions 74 and 84 into the opening 34 can be decreased. In contrast tothe conventional retaining member, in which the spring portion islatched on the side wall of the opening, damage of the side wall of theopening 34, i.e., the wall surface portion 35 b, can be decreased. Thespring portions 75 and 85 can be designed freely.

In the present embodiment, the width W of the spring portions 75 and 85in the latitudinal direction is larger than the thickness T of the metalplate, and the spring portions 75 and 85 are displaced in the thicknessdirection. The spring portions 75 and 85 extend in substantially thesame direction with the coupling portions 74 and 84, and the portionsbetween the coupling end with each of the coupling portions 74 and 84and the coupling end with the base portion 61 is substantially planarU-shaped before the spring portions 75 and 85 are displaced. The platethickness direction of the flat plate-like portion is substantiallyparallel to the direction, in which the latch portions 73 and 83 extendfrom the coupling portions 74 and 84 before the spring portions 75 and85 are displaced. In other words, the spring portions 75 and 85 extendtoward the main face 31 a of the substrate 31 from the base portion 61,and the plate thickness direction of the flat plate-like portion issubstantially parallel to the main face 31 a of the substrate 31 beforethe spring portions 75 and 85 are displaced. Thereby, the springportions 75 and 85 are displaced substantially parallel to thedirection, in which the latch portions 73 and 83 extend from thecoupling portions 74 and 84, that is, with respect to the substrate 31,on which the connector 50 is mounted by the retaining member 60, thespring portions 75 and 85 are displaced in the direction substantiallyperpendicular to the up-down direction, i.e., the direction along themain face 31 a, not parallel to the up-down direction. Therefore,compared to the structure that the spring portion is displaced in theup-down direction, the positional accuracy of the connector 50 to thesubstrate 31 in the up-down direction can be increased. The retainingmember 60 of the present embodiment is preferable to apply to theelectric component, which is required the positional accuracy in thethickness direction of the substrate 31, such as the connector 50including the terminal 51 having the surface mounting structure. As theterminal 51 having the surface mounting structure, a branch terminalincluding both a through-hole mounting portion, which is inserted intoan opening of a substrate, and a surface mounting portion may be used.

In the present embodiment, the bent positions of the retaining member 60are the connection portion between the base portion 61 and the springportion 75, the connection portion between the base portion 61 and thespring portion 85, the connection portion between the spring portion 75and the coupling portion 74, and the connection portion between thespring portion 85 and the coupling portion 84. The retaining member 60is not bent in the thickness direction of the substrate 31 at each ofthe bent positions. Therefore, the structure of the retaining member 60can be simplified by decreasing the bent positions, and the positionalaccuracy of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 in the thicknessdirection of the substrate 31 can be increased. Since the retainingmember 60 is not bent in the thickness direction of the substrate 31,bearing force with respect to stress in the up-down direction, i.e.,force for pulling the retaining member 60 from the opening 34, forexample, can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the latch portions 73 and 83 and the couplingportions 74 and 84 are formed integrally to have a flat plate-likeshape, and the latch portions 73 and 83 are formed by only the diecutting. Therefore, compared to the structure that the latch portions 73and 83 are formed by the bending process, the structure which includingthe connection portions between the coupling portion 74 and the latchportion 73 and between the coupling portion 84 and the latch portion 83as the bending positions, bearing force of the latch portions 73 and 83to the deformation and the damage can be improved, and hereby, theretaining strength of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can beincreased.

In the present embodiment, the retaining portion 60 includes the pair offirst leg portions 72 and 82 extended in the same direction from thebase portion 61. The first leg portion 72 opposes to the first legportion 82. The extending direction of the latch portion 73 in the firstleg portion 72 from the coupling portion 74 is opposite to the extendingdirection of the latch portion 83 in the first leg portion 82 from thecoupling portion 84. As described above, in case that multiple first legportions 72 and 82 are extended from one base portion 61, the retainingstrength of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can be increasedcompared to the case that only one first leg portion is extended from abase portion. Since the extending direction of the latch portion 73 isopposite to the extending direction of the latch portion 83,unsteadiness to the substrate 31 can be suppressed. Thereby, the latchportions 73 and 83 can be made difficult to be unlatched from the rearface 31 b of the substrate 31. Since the extending direction of thelatch portion 73 is opposite to the extending direction of the latchportion 83, unsteadiness to the substrate 31 can be suppressedeffectively. Furthermore, since the latch portions 73 and 83 extend inthe front-rear direction, the retaining member 60 can be displacedeasier in the lateral direction, i.e., the longitudinal direction of thehousing 52 in the connector 50, than in the front-rear direction.Therefore, when stress based on a difference of linear expansioncoefficient between the housing 52 and the substrate 31 by thetemperature change in mounting the terminal 51 by reflow is generated,since the clearance in the lateral direction is larger than theclearance in the front-rear direction, stress applied to a junctionbetween the terminal 51 and the corresponding land 33 and stress appliedto the retaining member 60 can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, in the plate thickness direction of the baseportion 61, the position of the latch portion 73 is same with theposition of the latch portion 83 at least before the spring portions 75and 85 are displaced. In other words, the flat plate portion in thespring portion 75 is substantially planar U-shaped, and the lengths ofthe parallel portions 75 a and 75 b are substantially same. Similarly,the flat plate portion in the spring portion 85 is substantially planarU-shaped, and the lengths of the parallel portions 85 a and 85 b aresubstantially same. That is, in the first leg portions 72 and 82,portions other than the latch portions 73 and 83 have the symmetrystructures with each other. Therefore, the structures of the first legportions 72 and 82 are simplified, and the first leg portions 72 and 82can be formed with high accuracy. Moreover, the connection portionbetween the base portion 61 and the spring portion 75 and the connectionportion between the spring portion 75 and the coupling portion 74 can bebent at the same time. Similarly, the connection portion between thebase portion 61 and the spring portion 85 and the connection portionbetween the spring portion 85 and the coupling portion 84 can be bent atthe same time. Therefore, the bending processes can be decreased.

In the present embodiment, the opening 34, in which the first legportions 72 and 82 of the retaining member 60 are inserted, has the longhole shape with extended in one direction. The latch portion 73 of thefirst leg portion 72 is extended from the coupling portion 74 in thelongitudinal direction of the opening 34, and the latch portion 83 ofthe first leg portion 82 is extended from the coupling portion 84 in thelongitudinal direction of the opening 34. The extended direction of thelatch portion 73 is opposite to the extended direction of the latchportion 83. The latch portions 73 and 83 are disposed at the peripheryof the opening 34 in the longitudinal side on the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31. In this manner, the opening 34 is formed to have the longhole shape, the coupling portions 74 and 84 can be twisted widely whenthe first leg portions 72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34compared to a circular opening having the same cross section with theopening 34. That is, reactive force of the spring portions 75 and 85becomes small, and inserting force of the latch portions 73 and 83 andthe coupling portions 74 and 84 to the opening 34 can be decreased.Therefore, when the latch portions 73 and 83 and the coupling portions74 and 84 are inserted into the opening 34, the damage of the side wallof the opening 34 can be decreased. The longitudinal direction of theopening 34 is substantially parallel to the latitudinal direction, i.e.,the front-rear direction, of the housing 52 of the connector 50.Therefore, the arrangement space of wiring on the substrate 31 can beeasily set.

In the present embodiment, at the end portion 52 b of the housing 52 inthe longitudinal direction, the retaining member 60 is disposed suchthat the plate thickness direction of the base portion 61 issubstantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing 52.With respect to the base portion 61, the spring portions 75 and 85 arebent to the outside of the nearer end portion 52 b in the housing 52. Inother word, the direction, in which the spring portions 75 and 85 arebent, is outside the housing 52 in the longitudinal direction. By usingthe mounting portion of the land 33 at the terminal 51 as a standard inthe up-down direction, the spring portions 75 and 85, which are nearerto the mounting portion than the base portion 61, are disposed at theoutside of the base portion 61 in the longitudinal direction of thehousing 52, i.e., the lateral direction. Therefore, considering thedraft angle from the mold of the housing 52, which is formed byinjection molding of resin, the dimension of the connector 50 in thelongitudinal direction of the housing 52, i.e., the lateral direction,can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the dummy land 35 is formed at the peripheryof the opening 34 in the substrate 31, and that the first leg portions72 and 82 are connected to the dummy land 35 through the solder 36.However, the first leg portion 72 and 82 may not be connected to thedummy land 35. For example, the opposing portion 73 a of the latchportion 73 has the tapered shape, and the end surface of the latitudinalportion 74 b of the coupling portion 74 of the substrate side is flatand smooth so that the end surface is substantially parallel to the mainface 31 a of the substrate 31. Therefore, the substrate 31 is interposedbetween the latch portion 73 and the coupling portion 74 and between thelatch portion 83 and the coupling portion 84. Thereby, unsteadiness ofthe connector 50 to the substrate 31 can be suppressed and the retainingstrength of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can be increased.

In the present embodiment, the connection portion between the baseportion 61 and the spring portion 75 and the connection portion betweenthe spring portion 75 and the coupling portion 74 are bent substantially90 degrees in the same direction. Similarly, the connection portionbetween the base portion 61 and the spring portion 85 and the connectionportion between the spring portion 85 and the coupling portion 84 arebent substantially 90 degrees in the same direction. However, the bentangle at each of the connection portions may be an angle other than 90degrees. For example, both connection portions may be bent in theopposite direction each other, and the bent angle may be an angle otherthan 90 degrees. When the connection portion between the base portion 61and the spring portion 75 and the connection portion between the springportion 75 and the coupling portion 74 are bent substantially the sameangle in the same direction, the both connection portions can be bent atthe same time.

In the present embodiment, the groove portion 52 c, which opens on thefront face 52 a, is formed in the housing 52 of the connector 50. Theretaining member 60 of the connector 50 is fixed by inserting the baseportion 61 of the retaining member 60 into the groove portion 52 c fromthe front face 52 a side of the housing 52. However, the retainingstructure of the retaining member 60 may be an arbitrary structure. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 29A and FIG. 29B, a fixing portion 52 f havinga longitudinal slit-like groove is formed on the end portion 52 b of thehousing 52 in the lateral direction, the base portion 61 of theretaining member 60 is inserted into the groove of the fixing portion 52f from above and fixed to the groove.

As shown in FIG. 30A, the present embodiment shows an example that thespring portions 75 and 85 project on one surface to the base portion 61in the plate thickness direction of the base portion 61. However, asshown in FIG. 30B, a structure that the spring portions 75 and 85project on both surfaces in the plate thickness of the base portion 61.Thereby, in case that the lengths of the spring portions 75 and 85 aresame, dimensions of the retaining member 60 in the plate thicknessdirection of the base portion 61, i.e., in the lateral direction, can bereduced.

As shown in FIG. 25, the present embodiment shows that the latchportions 73 and 83 and the coupling portions 74 and 84 are formedintegrally to have a flat plate-like shape, and the flat plate-shapeportions are same positions in the plate thickness of the base portion61. In other wards, the bent position of the spring portion 75 to thebase portion 61 and the bent position of the spring portion 75 to thecoupling portion 74 are in line shown by a broken line 108 in FIG. 25,and the bent position of the spring portion 85 to the base portion 61and the bent position of the spring portion 85 to the coupling portion84 are in line shown by a broken line 109 in FIG. 25. However, as shownin FIG. 31A and FIG. 31B, the latch portion 73 is distant from the latchportion 83 with a margin more than the plate thickness in the platethickness direction of the base portion 61 at least before the springportions 75 and 85 are displaced. In such a structure, as shown in FIG.31A, a bent position 110 a of the spring portion 75 to the base portion61 is not in line with a bent position 110 b of the spring portion 75 tothe coupling portion 74, and a bent position 111 a of the spring portion85 to the base portion 61 is not in line with a bent position 111 b ofthe spring portion 85 to the coupling portion 84. As shown in FIG. 31B,the latch portion 73 is distant from the latch portion 83 with a marginmore than the plate thickness in the plate thickness direction of thebase portion 61 at least before the spring portions 75 and 85 aredisplaced. Thus, when the first leg portions 72 and 82 are inserted intothe opening 34, contact of the latch portion 73 with the latch portion83 and contact of the coupling portion 74 with the coupling portion 84can be prevented. In FIG. 31A and FIG. 31B, the lengths of the springportions 75 and 85 are substantially same.

Eighth Embodiment

Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIG. 32 to FIG. 35.

The seventh embodiment shows the example that the width W of the flatplate-like portion of the spring portions 75 and 85 in the latitudinaldirection is constant in the longitudinal direction and that the flatplate-like portion is substantially planar U-shaped. However, the shapeof the spring portions 75 and 85 may be a different form. For example,as shown in FIG. 32, although the spring portions 75 and 85 aresubstantially planar U-shaped and the width W is larger than the platethickness T, the width W of the latitudinal direction of the flatplate-like portion is not constant in the longitudinal direction. Thewidth W becomes wider toward the connection portions with the baseportion 61, and the width W becomes narrower toward the connectionportions with each of the coupling portions 74 and 84. Referring to FIG.32, a width W1 of the spring portion 75 at the near side of the baseportion 61 is wider than a width W2 of the spring portion 75 at the nearside of the coupling portion 74.

When the latch portions 73 and 83 are inserted into the opening 34 ofthe substrate 31, stress applied on the spring portions 75 and 85increases toward a position far from the latch portions 73 and 83, thatis, toward the connection portion with the base portion 61. In contrast,according to the present embodiment, since rigidity becomes highertoward the near side of the connection portion with the base portion 61,stress is dispersed by the spring portions 75 and 85 so that stressconcentration at the connection portion side with the base portion 61 ofthe spring portions 75 and 85 can be suppressed.

Other than the example of FIG. 32, the spring portions 75 and 85 shownin FIG. 33 to FIG. 35 can be applied. In the example shown in FIG. 33,the outline, i.e., the portion circled with a broken line, of the springportions 75 and 85 from the connection portions of the parallel portions75 a and 85 a with the base portion 61 to the connection portions of theparallel portions 75 a and 85 a with the straight portions 75 c and 85 chas a rounded shape. In contrast to an angular-shaped, i.e., an anglebelow 90 degrees, stress concentration at the connection portions withthe base portion 61 can be suppressed. An outline of a polygonal shapeformed by connecting multiple angles more than 90 degrees may be used.

In the example shown in FIG. 34, a coupling portion 75 d between theparallel portions 75 a and 75 b and a coupling portion 85 d between theparallel portions 85 a and 85 b, which correspond to the straightportions 75 c and 85 c, are twisted with respect to the up-downdirection to couple the parallel portions 75 a and 75 b, and theparallel portions 85 a and 85 b, respectively. In the example shown inFIG. 35, the spring portions 75 and 85 includes folding portions 75 eand 85 e, in which end surfaces thereof are adjacent to each other. Inthe structures of FIG. 34 and FIG. 35, even if the heights of the springportions 75 and 85 are same in the up-down direction, spring force canbe weakened by lengthening the spring length compared to thesubstantially U-shaped spring portions. Since the amount ofdisplacement, i.e., the stroke, of the spring portions 75 and 85increases when applied force is same, lengths of the latch portions 73and 83 can be lengthened. That is, it is difficult for the latchportions 73 and 83 to be unlatched, and pulling out of the first legportions 72 and 82 from the opening 34 can be suppressed.

Ninth Embodiment

Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 36.

In the present embodiment, the lands 33 are disposed to have multiplestages, three stages in the present embodiment, for example, also in thefront-rear direction not only in the lateral direction, and all thelands 33 are disposed between the latch portions 73 and 83 in thefront-rear direction. Specifically, as shown by a dashed line in FIG.36, the distance between the edge portion of the latch portion 73 andthe edge portion of the latch portion 83 is larger than the distancebetween a back end of a first stage of the land 33 at a near side of thefirst leg portion 82 and a front end of a third stage of the land 33 ata near side of the first leg portion 72 in the front-rear direction. Inother words, the mounting portions of the terminals 51 correspond to thelands 33 to be disposed to have multiple stages, three stages in thepresent embodiment, for example, also in the front-rear direction notonly in the lateral direction. All the multiple-stage mounting portionsare disposed between the latch portion 73 and the latch portion 83.Specifically, as shown by a dashed-dotted line in FIG. 36, the distancebetween the edge portion of the latch portion 73 and the edge portion ofthe latch portion 83 is larger than the distance between a back end ofthe mounting portion of a first stage of the terminal 51 at a near sideof the first leg portion 82 and a front end of the mounting portion of athird stage of the terminal 51 at a near side of the first leg portion72 in the front-rear direction.

In case that the connector 50 is retained on the substrate 31 by theretaining member 60, external stress that tilts the connector 50 in thefront-rear direction is applied to the first leg portions 72 and 82,which are disposed on an outer side of the mounting portions of theterminals 51 in the front-rear direction, before external stress isapplied to the connector 50, i.e., the housing 52. Therefore,reliability of the connection at the connecting portions of theterminals 51 and the corresponding lands 33 can be increased.

In case that unsteadiness is generated at the first leg portions 72 and82 to the substrate 31 in the up-down direction due to at least one ofthe dimensions of the first leg portions 72 and 82 and the thickness ofthe substrate 31, the larger the distance between the latch portions 73and 83, the smaller the tilt of the connector 50 to the substrate 31. Inthe above-described structure, all the multiple-stage lands 33, that is,all the multiple-stage mounting portions are disposed between the latchportions 73 and 83 in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the distancebetween the latch portions 73 and 83 is ensured. Therefore, the tilt ofthe connector 50 can be decreased compared to the structure that thelands 33 and the mounting portions of the terminals 51 are disposed atthe outside of the space between the latch portions 73 and 83 in thefront-rear direction.

In the present embodiment, each of the first leg portions 72 and 82 isinserted into each of openings 34 a and 34 b, which is disposed indifferent portions on the substrate 31. Thereby, unsteadiness of theconnector 50 to the substrate 31 can be suppressed compared to thestructure that the first leg portions 72 and 82 are inserted into theone opening 34 because the looseness of the first leg portions 72 and 82to the opening 34 is small. It becomes difficult for the latch portions73 and 83 in the retaining state to be unlatched. The structure thateach of the first leg portions 72 and 82 is inserted into each of theopenings 34 a and 34 b of the substrate 31 may be applied to theabove-described embodiments. The structure that the first leg portions72 and 82 are inserted into the one opening 34 may be applied to thepresent embodiment. In this regard, since the length of the opening 34in the front-rear direction increases, it becomes easy for the latchportions 73 and 83 to be released from the rear face 31 b of thesubstrate 31.

Tenth Embodiment

Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 37 to FIG. 38B.

As shown in FIG. 37, the retaining member 60 further includes a secondleg portion 92 that extends in the same direction with the first legportions 72 and 82 from the base portion 61. The second leg portion 92is disposed between the first leg portions 72 and 82, and inserted intoa different opening 40 from the openings, in which the first legportions 72 and 82 are inserted. The second leg portion 92, the firstleg portions 72 and 82 and the base portion 61 are formed integrally byprocessing the same metal plate so that the second leg portion 92 havinga flat plate portion is obtained. The width in the latitudinal directionof the metal plate is larger than the thickness T of the metal plate.The second leg portion 92 is extended from the base portion 61, and anend portion of the second leg portion 92 is inserted into the opening40. The plate thickness direction at the flat plate-like portion issubstantially parallel to the plate thickness direction at the baseportion 61. It is difficult for the second leg portion 92 to be deformedin the plate thickness direction of the spring portions 75 and 85, thatis, the displacement direction of the spring portions 75 and 85.Therefore, when external stress is applied to the plate thicknessdirection of the spring portions 75 and 85, i.e., in the front-reardirection, unsteadiness of the retaining member 60 can be suppressed bythe second leg portion 92 inserted into the opening 40, which differsfrom the openings 34 a and 34 b. It is noted that the latitudinaldirection of the second leg portion 92 is a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the extending direction from the base portion 61, i.e.,the longitudinal direction, in the plane substantially perpendicular tothe plate thickness of the flat plate-like portion.

As shown in FIG. 37, the end portion of the flat plate-like portion ofthe second leg portion 92 is disposed farther from the base portion 61than the end portions of the latch portions 73 and 83. Thus, the secondleg portion 92 can be inserted into the opening 40 before the first legportions 72 and 82 are inserted into the opening 34 a and 34 b.Therefore, each of the first leg portions 72 and 82 can be insertedeasily into each of the openings 34 a and 34 b by the positioning of thesecond leg portion 92.

As shown in FIG. 37, the flat plate-like portion of the second legportion 92 includes an inserting portion 93 and a retaining portion 94.The inserting portion 93 corresponds to a portion from an end portion ofthe second leg portion 92 to a predetermined portion. At least a part ofthe inserting portion 93 is inserted into the opening 40. The retainingportion 94 connects to the inserting portion 93 and the base portion 61,and a width of the retaining portion 94 is larger than that of theinserting portion 93. The end surface of the retaining portion 94 at theinserting portion 93 side substantially corresponds to opposing surfacesin the latitudinal portions 74 b and 84 b of the coupling portions 74and 84 with the main face 31 a of the substrate 31. When the insertingportion 93 is inserted into the opening 40 and the latch portions 73 and83 are disposed at the periphery of the openings 34 a and 34 b on therear face 31 b of the substrate 31, the end surface of the retainingportion 94 at the inserting portion 93 side can be in contact with themain face 31 a of the substrate 31. Therefore, unsteadiness to thesubstrate 31 can be decreased.

A part of the second leg portion 92 is attached to the dummy landdisposed at the periphery of the opening 40 by the solder so that theretaining strength of the connector 50 to the substrate 31 can beincreased. In an example shown in FIG. 38A, the retaining strength ofthe connector 50 to the substrate 31 is further increased by attachingthe end surface of the retaining portion 94 to the corresponding dummyland 38 disposed on the main face 31 a of the substrate 31.Specifically, the structure of the dummy land 38 is similar to that ofthe dummy land 35, and the soldering paste 36 a is applied on only themain face 31 a of the substrate 31 in the dummy land 38. The solderingpaste 36 a is disposed on only the main face of the dummy land 38 and aportion, which is far from the opening 40. Thus, contamination of thereflow furnace by the soldering paste 36 a can be suppressed as well asthe above-described dummy land 35. Reflow mounting can be performed tothe dummy land 38 corresponding to the second leg portion 92. Therefore,the second leg portion 92, the first leg portions 72 and 82, theterminal 51 and the other electric components can be solder-mountedsimultaneously.

In contrast to the FIG. 38A, the retaining portion 94 shown in FIG. 38Bis a substantially planar tub-shaped or a substantially planar U-shaped.The retaining portion 94 includes a planar-like portion 94 a, which isformed with the inserting portion 93 integrally, and a bent portion 94b, which is bent toward the portion 94 a, in the front-rear direction.Thereby, the contact area between the soldering paste 36 a and theretaining portion 94 can be increased.

The contact area between each of the first leg portions 72 and 82 andthe soldering paste 36 a and the contact area between the second legportion 92 and the soldering paste 36 a are ensured, and the openings 34and 40 are disposed at end portions of the dummy lands 35 and 38 so asto decrease areas of the dummy lands 35 and 38. Reference numeral 35 adenotes the main face portion of the dummy land 35. Other than theabove-described position of the openings 34 and 40, the openings 34 and40 may be disposed at the center of the dummy lands 35 and 38. In FIG.38A and FIG. 38B, although the opening 40 is disposed on a straightline, with which the opening 34 a and the opening 34 b are connected,one long hole structured by the openings 34 a and 34 b may be used bydisplacing the opening 40.

Eleventh Embodiment

Next, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIG. 39 to FIG. 40B.

As shown in the above-described embodiments, when the terminal havingthe surface mounting structure is used as the terminal 51 and a part ofthe coupling portions 74 and 84, i.e., the latitudinal portions 74 b and84 b is disposed on the main face 31 a of the substrate 31, it ispreferable that the opposing surfaces of a part of the coupling portions74 and 84 to the main face 31 a of the substrate 31 substantiallycorrespond to the bottom surfaces of the surface mounting portions ofthe terminals 51 in the up-down direction. However, positions of thesurface mounting portions of multiple terminals 51 having the surfacemounting structure are varied to some extent in the up-down directionbecause of production variation and assembly variation. That is,positions of the surface mounting portions are varied in the range oftolerance. In addition, clearances between the latch portions 73 and 83of the first leg portions 72 and 82 with the connector 50 attached tothe substrate 31 by the retaining portion 60 are varied to some extent.That is, positions of the latch portions 73 and 83 to the rear face 31 bof the substrate 31 in the range of tolerance. The positions of thesurface mounting portions of the terminals 51 and the positions of thelatch portions 73 and 83 are varied so that unsteadiness is generated atthe connector 50 to the substrate 31. Assuming that the main face 31 aof the substrate 31, that is, the contacting portions with the main face31 a of the substrate 31, i.e., the latitudinal portions 74 b and 84 bof the coupling portions 74 and 84 as a reference position, clearancesbetween each of the latch portions 73 and 83 and the rear face 31 b ofthe substrate 31 may be varied in the range of tolerance α, as shown inFIG. 40A. The position of a bottom surface 51 c in the surface mountingportion of the terminal 51 is varied in the range of tolerance βupwardly from the reference position, as shown in FIG. 40A. In thiscase, the width of unsteadiness of the connector 50 to the substrate 31becomes α+β. Therefore, the surface mounting portion of the terminal 51may not be connected to the corresponding land 33 through the solder 36.

In the present embodiment, the width of unsteadiness of the connector 50to the substrate 31 is decreased by using spring property of theterminal 51. As shown in FIG. 39, the bottom surface 51 c of the surfacemounting portion of the terminal 51 having the surface mountingstructure is located nearer to the latch portions 73 and 83 than the endportions of the latitudinal portions 74 b and 84 b, which are located onthe main face 31 a of the substrate 31, in the up-down direction. Thedistances between each of the end portions of the latitudinal portions74 b and 84 b of the coupling portions 74 and 84 and the bottom portions51 c of the terminal 51 are set in a range that the terminal 51 can bedeformable by the own spring property within the elastic deformationrange.

Therefore, when the connector 50 shown in FIG. 39 is attached to thesubstrate 31, the terminal 51 is deformed by the own spring property andthe connector 50 can be closer to the substrate 31. Thereby, as shown inFIG. 40B, the variation γ of the bottom portion 51 c of the substrate 51with the main face 31 a as the reference becomes smaller than thetolerance β, and the width of unsteadiness of the connector 50 to thesubstrate 31 becomes α+γ. Therefore, unsteadiness of the connector 50 tothe substrate 31 can be suppressed in the up-down direction, andthereby, reliability of the connection of the terminal 51 and the land33 can be increased.

In the above-described embodiments, the retaining member 60 having thepair of first leg portions 72 and 82 and the retaining member 60 havingthe pair of first leg portions 72 and 82 and the second leg portion 92are shown. However, the number of the leg portions is not limited tothat in the above-described embodiments. For example, each of theretaining members 60 disposed at the both ends of the housing 52 in thelateral direction may have only one first leg portion. For example, asshown in FIG. 41, the extending directions of the latch portions 63 areopposite to each other. In FIG. 41, the latch portion 63 of theretaining member 60 on the right side faces rightward and the latchportion 63 of the retaining member 60 on the left side faces leftward.Thereby, unsteadiness in the extending direction of the latch portions63 can be suppressed, and the latch portion 63 can be made difficult tobe unlatched from the rear face 31 b of the substrate 31.

The connector 50 may include different types of the retaining members60. For example, the retaining member 60 having the pair of first legportions 72 and 82 and the retaining member 60 having the pair of firstleg portions 72 and 82 and the second leg portion 92 may be disposed inone connector 50.

The latch portions 73 and 83 may be extended in the lateral direction.The pair of latch portions 73 and 83 may be extended in the differentdirections other than the opposite directions, or may be extended in thesame direction. In addition, the pair of latch portions 73 and 83 may beextended in the opposite directions and inwardly in the lateraldirection. However, when the pair of latch portions 73 and 83 areextended at least in the different directions, more preferably, in theopposite directions each other, unsteadiness of the connector 50 to thesubstrate 31 can be suppressed compared to the structure that the pairof latch portions 73 and 83 are extended in the same direction. Thereby,the latch portions 73 and 83 can be made difficult to be unlatched fromthe rear face 31 b of the substrate 31.

In the above-described embodiments, the latch portions 73 and 83 areformed by only the die cutting of the metal plate. However, theretaining member 60 can also be obtained as follows. For example, asshown in FIG. 42, the retaining member 60 can be obtained by bendingsubstantially 90 degrees at a boundary 112 between the bonding portion76 and the spring portion 75, at a boundary 113 between the springportion 75 and the coupling portion 74 and at a boundary 114 between thecoupling portion 74 and the latch portion 73. However, bearing forcewith respect to the deformation and the damage decreases by the bendingprocess. Therefore, more preferably, the latch portions 73 and 83 areformed by only the die cutting, that is, the latch portions 73 and 83and the coupling portions 74 and 84 are formed integrally to have a flatplate shape.

In the above-described embodiments, the electric control device havingthe non-waterproof structure is used as the electric device. However, anelectric control device having a water-proof structure may be used. Theelectric device is not limited to the electric control device.

In the above-described embodiments, the connector 50 is used as theelectric component. However, other than the connector 50 retained on themain face 31 a of the substrate 31, the other electric components may beused. A conductive electric component having a terminal beingelectrically connected to a land of a substrate and a main body, onwhich the terminal is disposed, may be used.

In the above-described embodiments, the retaining member 60 is insertedfrom the upper portion into each of the groove portions 54 located onboth sides of the housing 52. However, the retaining member 60 may beinserted from a front portion or a rear portion.

In the above-described embodiments, the coupling portions 74 and 84 andthe parallel portions 75 a and 75 b of the spring portions 75 and 85 areconnected to the dummy land 35 through the solder 36. However, only thecoupling portions 74 and 84 may be connected to the dummy land 35through the solder 36, that is, the spring portions 75 and 85 are notsoldered. In addition, the latch portions 73 and 83 may be connected tothe rear face portion 35 c of the dummy land 35 through the solder 36.

The dummy land 35 may include only the main face portion 35 a. The dummyland 35 may include only the rear face portion 35 c. The dummy land 35may include only the main face portion 35 a and the wall surface portion35 b. Alternatively, the dummy land 35 may not be used, or the first legportions 72 and 82 may not be soldered while the dummy land 35 is used.

In the above-described embodiments, the soldering paste 36 a is appliedon only the portion far from the opening 34 or the opening 40 on themain face portion 35 a of the dummy land 35 or on the dummy land 38.However, the soldering paste 36 a may be applied in the openings 34 and40. In such a case, the contact area of the solder 36 with the first legportions 72 and 82 and the second leg portion 92 increases. Thereby, theconnector 50 can be retained firmly on the substrate 31.

In the above-described embodiments, the retaining members 60 arearranged at the periphery of both end portions 52 b and two portionsbetween the both end portions 52 b in the lateral direction, or theretaining members 60 are arranged at the periphery of both end portions52 b. However, multiple retaining members 60 may be arranged at a regionbetween the both end portions 52 b. Thereby, warpage of the substrate 31to the connector 50 can be suppressed and reliability of the connectionof the terminal 51 to the land 33 can be increased.

In the above-described embodiments, the retaining member 60 includesonly one second leg portion 92. However, the retaining member 60 mayinclude multiple second leg portions 92. The second leg portion 92 canbe used when the second leg portion 92 can be inserted into thecorresponding opening in the substrate 31 and does not deformed in thedisplacement direction of the spring portions 75 and 85.

In the above-described embodiments, the end portion of the insertingportion 93 of the second leg portion 92 is farther from the base portion61 than the end portions of the latch portions 73 and 83. In case thatthe terminal 51 has only the surface mounting portion, the second legportion 92 can be used when the end portion of the second leg portion 92is lower than the surface mounting portion and at least a part of thesecond leg portion 92 is inserted into the opening 40. In case that theterminal 51 has the through-hole mounting portion, the second legportion 92 can be used when at least a part of the second leg portion 92is inserted into the opening 40. For example, the end portion of thethrough-hole mounting portion may be lower than the end portion of theinserting portion 93.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the preferred embodiments and constructions. The invention isintended to cover various modification and equivalent arrangements. Inaddition, while the various combinations and configurations, which arepreferred, other combinations and configurations, including more, lessor only a single element, are also within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A retaining member for retaining an electric component on a main faceof a substrate, the retaining member comprising: a base portionconfigured to be fixed to the electric component; and a first legportion extending from a first position of the base portion in a firstdirection, the first leg portion including a latch portion, a couplingportion and a spring portion; a retaining portion extending from asecond position of the base portion in the first direction, the secondposition being different from the first position; and a second legportion extending from the base portion in the first direction, whereinthe latch portion latches a rear surface of the substrate when theelectric component is retained on the main face of the substrate, therear surface being opposite to the main face, wherein the spring portionis coupled with the base portion, and has a plate shape, wherein thespring portion is deformable in a thickness direction of the springportion as a third direction, which is perpendicular to the firstdirection, wherein the spring portion is disposed on the main face ofthe substrate when the electric component is retained on the main faceof the substrate, wherein the coupling portion couples between the latchportion and the spring portion, wherein a part of the coupling portionis disposed in a first opening of the substrate when the electriccomponent is retained on the main face of the substrate, wherein theretaining portion contacts the main face of the substrate when theelectric component is retained on the main face of the substrate,wherein the latch portion protrudes from the coupling portion in thethird direction before the electric component is retained on the mainface of the substrate, wherein the second leg portion is inserted into asecond opening of the substrate, which is different from the firstopening, wherein the second leg portion has a flat plate portion, and anend portion of the flat plate portion is configured to be inserted intothe second opening, wherein a width of the flat plate portion in thethird direction, which is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinaldirection and a thickness direction of the flat plate portion, is largerthan a thickness of the flat plate portion, wherein the longitudinaldirection of the flat plate portion provides the first direction, andthe thickness direction of the flat plate portion provides a seconddirection, wherein the thickness direction of the flat plate portion issubstantially parallel to a thickness direction of the base portion,wherein the flat plate portion includes an insertion portion and theretaining portion, wherein the insertion portion is configured to beinserted into the second opening, wherein the retaining portion connectsthe inserting portion and the base portion, and wherein a width of theretaining portion in the third direction is larger than a width of theinsertion portion in the third direction.
 2. The retaining memberaccording to claim 1, wherein a width of the coupling portion in thethird direction, which is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinaldirection and a thickness direction of the coupling portion, is largerthan the thickness of the coupling portion, wherein the longitudinaldirection of the coupling portion provides the first direction, and thethickness direction of the coupling portion provides the seconddirection, wherein a flat plate part of the coupling portion other thana corresponding coupling end of the coupling portion with the springportion is integrated with a corresponding latch portion, wherein athickness direction of the flat plate part of the coupling portions issubstantially parallel to a thickness direction of the base portion, thethickness direction of the base portion providing the second directionperpendicular to both the first and third directions, wherein the springportion is bent by substantially same degrees in a same direction withrespect to the base portion and the coupling portion, and wherein thethickness direction of the flat plate part of the spring portion issubstantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the baseportion.
 3. The retaining member according to claim 1, wherein the widthof the spring portion in the second direction becomes wider toward thecoupling end of the spring portion with the base portion.
 4. Theretaining member according to claim 1, wherein the coupling end of thespring portion with the base portion has one of a polygonal shape, whichis obtained by combining multiple angles more than 90 degrees, and arounded shape.
 5. The retaining member according to claim 1, wherein theflat plate portion of the spring portion has a substantially U-shape. 6.The retaining member according to claim 1, wherein the flat plateportion of the spring portion includes a pair of folding portions, andend surfaces of the pair of folding portions are adjacent each other. 7.The retaining member according to claim 1, wherein the first leg portionincludes a pair of first leg elements, wherein the pair of first legelements extends from the base portion in a same direction, and whereinthe retaining portion is disposed between the pair of first legelements.
 8. The retaining member according to claim 7, wherein thesecond leg portion is disposed between the pair of first leg elements.9. The retaining member according to claim 8, wherein the end portion ofthe flat plate portion of the second leg portion is disposed fartherfrom the base portion than end portions of the latch portions in thefirst leg elements.
 10. The retaining member according to claim 7,wherein each first leg element includes the latch portion, the couplingportion and the spring portion, wherein a width of each coupling portionin the third direction, which is substantially perpendicular to alongitudinal direction and a thickness direction of the couplingportion, is larger than the thickness of the coupling portion, whereinthe longitudinal direction of the coupling portion provides the firstdirection, and the thickness direction of the coupling portion providesthe second direction, wherein each flat plate part of the couplingportions other than a corresponding coupling end of the coupling portionwith the spring portion is integrated with a corresponding latchportion, wherein a thickness direction of each flat plate part of thecoupling portions is substantially parallel to a thickness direction ofthe base portion, the thickness direction of the base portion providingthe second direction perpendicular to both the first and thirddirections, wherein each of the spring portions is bent by substantiallysame degrees in a same direction with respect to the base portion and acorresponding coupling portion, and wherein the thickness direction ofeach of flat plate parts of the spring portions is substantiallyperpendicular to the thickness direction of the base portion.
 11. Theretaining member according to claim 10, wherein each of the latchportions is disposed on a same plane of the base portion before thelatch portions are inserted into the first opening.
 12. The retainingmember according to claim 10, wherein the latch portions deviate from aplane of the base portion by the thickness of the base portion or morebefore the latch portions are inserted into the first opening.
 13. Aretaining member for retaining an electric component on a main face of asubstrate, the retaining member comprising: a base portion configured tobe fixed to the electric component; and a first leg portion extendingfrom a first position of the base portion in a first direction, thefirst leg portion including a latch portion, a coupling portion and aspring portion, wherein the latch portion latches a rear surface of thesubstrate when the electric component is retained on the main face ofthe substrate, the rear surface being opposite to the main face, whereinthe spring portion is coupled with the base portion, and has a plateshape, wherein the spring portion is deformable in a thickness directionof the spring portion as a third direction, which is perpendicular tothe first direction, wherein the spring portion is disposed on the mainface of the substrate when the electric component is retained on themain face of the substrate, wherein the coupling portion couples betweenthe latch portion and the spring portion, wherein a part of the couplingportion is disposed in a first opening of the substrate when theelectric component is retained on the main face of the substrate,wherein the spring portion is soldered on the main face of the substratewhen the electric component is retained on the main face of thesubstrate, and wherein the latch portion protrudes from the couplingportion in the third direction before the electric component is retainedon the main face of the substrate.
 14. The retaining member according toclaim 13, wherein a width of the coupling portion in the thirddirection, which is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinaldirection and a thickness direction of the coupling portion, is largerthan the thickness of the coupling portion, wherein the longitudinaldirection of the coupling portion provides the first direction, and thethickness direction of the coupling portion provides a second direction,wherein a flat plate part of the coupling portion other than acorresponding coupling end of the coupling portion with the springportion is integrated with a corresponding latch portion, wherein athickness direction of the flat plate part of the coupling portions issubstantially parallel to a thickness direction of the base portion, thethickness direction of the base portion providing the second directionperpendicular to both the first and third directions, wherein the springportion is bent by substantially same degrees in a same direction withrespect to the base portion and the coupling portion, and wherein thethickness direction of the flat plate part of the spring portion issubstantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the baseportion.
 15. The retaining member according to claim 13, wherein thewidth of the spring portion in a second direction becomes wider towardthe coupling end of the spring portion with the base portion.
 16. Theretaining member according to claim 13, wherein the coupling end of thespring portion with the base portion has one of a polygonal shape, whichis obtained by combining multiple angles more than 90 degrees, and arounded shape.
 17. The retaining member according to claim 13, whereinthe flat plate portion of the spring portion has a substantiallyU-shape.
 18. The retaining member according to claim 13, wherein thefirst leg portion includes a pair of first leg elements, wherein thepair of first leg elements extends from the base portion in a samedirection, wherein the first opening of the substrate includes a pair offirst opening portions, wherein one of the pair of first leg elements isinserted into one of the pair of first opening portions, and wherein theother of the pair of first leg elements is inserted into the other ofthe pair of first opening portions, which is different from the one ofthe pair of first opening portions.
 19. The retaining member accordingto claim 18, wherein each first leg element includes the latch portion,the coupling portion and the spring portion, wherein a width of eachcoupling portion in the third direction, which is substantiallyperpendicular to a longitudinal direction and a thickness direction ofthe coupling portion, is larger than the thickness of the couplingportion, wherein the longitudinal direction of the coupling portionprovides the first direction, and the thickness direction of thecoupling portion provides a second direction, wherein each flat platepart of the coupling portions other than a corresponding coupling end ofthe coupling portion with the spring portion is integrated with acorresponding latch portion, wherein a thickness direction of each flatplate part of the coupling portions is substantially parallel to athickness direction of the base portion, the thickness direction of thebase portion providing the second direction perpendicular to both thefirst and third directions, wherein each of the spring portions is bentby substantially same degrees in a same direction with respect to thebase portion and a corresponding coupling portion, and wherein thethickness direction of each of flat plate parts of the spring portionsis substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the baseportion.
 20. The retaining member according to claim 19, wherein each ofthe latch portions is disposed on a same plane of the base portionbefore the latch portions are inserted into the first opening.
 21. Theretaining member according to claim 19, wherein the latch portionsdeviate from a plane of the base portion by the thickness of the baseportion or more before the latch portions are inserted into the firstopening.
 22. The retaining member according to claim 19, furthercomprising: a second leg portion extending from the base portion in thefirst direction and disposed between the pair of first leg elements,wherein the second leg portion is inserted into a second opening of thesubstrate, which is different from the first opening, wherein the secondleg portion has a flat plate portion, and an end portion of the flatplate portion is configured to be inserted into the second opening,wherein a width of the flat plate portion in the third direction, whichis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction and athickness direction of the flat plate portion, is larger than athickness of the flat plate portion, wherein the longitudinal directionof the flat plate portion provides the first direction, and thethickness direction of the flat plate portion provides a seconddirection, and wherein the thickness direction of the flat plate portionis substantially parallel to a thickness direction of the base portion.23. The retaining member according to claim 22, wherein the end portionof the flat plate portion of the second leg portion is disposed fartherfrom the base portion than end portions of the latch portions in thefirst leg elements.
 24. The retaining member according to claim 22,wherein the flat plate portion includes an insertion portion and aretaining portion, wherein the insertion portion is configured to beinserted into the second opening, wherein the retaining portion connectsthe inserting portion and the base portion, and wherein a width of theretaining portion in the third direction is larger than a width of theinsertion portion in the third direction.
 25. A retaining member forretaining an electric component on a main face of a substrate, theretaining member comprising: a base portion configured to be fixed tothe electric component; and a first leg portion extending from a firstposition of the base portion in a first direction, the first leg portionincluding a latch portion, a coupling portion and a spring portion,wherein the latch portion latches a rear surface of the substrate whenthe electric component is retained on the main face of the substrate,the rear surface being opposite to the main face, wherein the springportion is coupled with the base portion, and has a plate shape, whereinthe spring portion is deformable in a thickness direction of the springportion as a third direction, which is perpendicular to the firstdirection, wherein the spring portion is disposed on the main face ofthe substrate when the electric component is retained on the main faceof the substrate, wherein the coupling portion couples between the latchportion and the spring portion, wherein a part of the coupling portionis disposed in a first opening of the substrate, and another part of thecoupling portion is disposed on the main face of the substrate when theelectric component is retained on the main face of the substrate,wherein the coupling portion is soldered on the main face of thesubstrate so that the coupling portion and the latch portion sandwichthe substrate when the electric component is retained on the main faceof the substrate, and wherein the latch portion protrudes from thecoupling portion in the third direction before the electric component isretained on the main face of the substrate.
 26. The retaining memberaccording to claim 25, wherein the first leg portion includes a pair offirst leg elements, wherein the pair of first leg elements extends fromthe base portion in a same direction, wherein the first opening of thesubstrate includes a pair of first opening portions, wherein one of thepair of first leg elements is inserted into one of the pair of firstopening portions, and wherein the other of the pair of first legelements is inserted into the other of the pair of first openingportions, which is different from the one of the pair of first openingportions.
 27. A retaining member for retaining an electric component ona main face of a substrate, the retaining member comprising: a baseportion configured to be fixed to the electric component; and a firstleg portion extending from a first position of the base portion in afirst direction, the first leg portion including a latch portion, acoupling portion and a spring portion, wherein the latch portion latchesa rear surface of the substrate when the electric component is retainedon the main face of the substrate, the rear surface being opposite tothe main face, wherein the spring portion is coupled with the baseportion, and has a plate shape, wherein the spring portion is deformablein a thickness direction of the spring portion as a third direction,which is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the springportion is disposed on the main face of the substrate when the electriccomponent is retained on the main face of the substrate, wherein thecoupling portion couples between the latch portion and the springportion, wherein a part of the coupling portion is disposed in a firstopening of the substrate when the electric component is retained on themain face of the substrate, wherein the spring portion contacts the mainface of the substrate when the electric component is retained on themain face of the substrate, wherein the latch portion protrudes from thecoupling portion in the third direction before the electric component isretained on the main face of the substrate, and wherein a flat plateportion of the spring portion includes a pair of folding portions, andend surfaces of the pair of folding portions are adjacent each other.28. A retaining member for retaining an electric component on a mainface of a substrate, the retaining member comprising: a base portionconfigured to be fixed to the electric component; and a first legportion extending from a first position of the base portion in a firstdirection, the first leg portion including a latch portion, a couplingportion and a spring portion, wherein the latch portion latches a rearsurface of the substrate when the electric component is retained on themain face of the substrate, the rear surface being opposite to the mainface, wherein the spring portion is coupled with the base portion, andhas a plate shape, wherein the spring portion is deformable in athickness direction of the spring portion as a third direction, which isperpendicular to the first direction, wherein the spring portion isdisposed on the main face of the substrate when the electric componentis retained on the main face of the substrate, wherein the couplingportion couples between the latch portion and the spring portion,wherein a part of the coupling portion is disposed in a first opening ofthe substrate, and another part of the coupling portion is disposed onthe main face of the substrate when the electric component is retainedon the main face of the substrate, wherein the coupling portion contactsthe main face of the substrate so that the coupling portion and thelatch portion sandwich the substrate when the electric component isretained on the main face of the substrate, wherein the latch portionprotrudes from the coupling portion in the third direction before theelectric component is retained on the main face of the substrate,wherein a flat plate portion of the spring portion includes a pair offolding portions, and end surfaces of the pair of folding portions areadjacent each other.